Government has directed the Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, to commission a concurrent forensic audit and criminal investigation into the activities of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) over the last eight years, as government moves to tighten accountability in the troubled cocoa sector.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced the decision at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, February 12, after Cabinet concluded a review of the sector which he said revealed “gross mismanagement” requiring urgent reforms.
“To ensure accountability and transparency in the management of Cocoa Board and the cocoa sector as a whole, Cabinet also directed the Attorney General to commission concurrent forensic audit and criminal investigation into the activities of Cocoa Board over the last eight years,” Dr Forson stated.
He said the directive comes amid persistent challenges in the cocoa industry, including financing gaps, unfulfilled supply contracts, and growing pressure on farmers’ livelihoods, with reports that some farmers have threatened to sell their lands to illegal miners.
Dr Forson said Cabinet had also taken steps to clamp down on spending at COCOBOD, warning that “wasteful and uncontrolled expenditure practices are to be curtailed immediately.”
He further revealed that Cabinet identified road construction as a major contributor to COCOBOD’s current financial difficulties, prompting government to shift responsibility for cocoa road projects away from the Board.
“Cabinet also noted that road construction accounts for a significant part of the financial difficulties that Cocoa Board is facing at the moment,” he said, adding that government has secured a US$500 million World Bank facility to construct agricultural roads, including cocoa roads.
The Finance Minister said additional measures are being rolled out to cut costs and streamline operations, as government works to restore confidence in COCOBOD and ensure long-term sustainability in the cocoa sector.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
