The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to withhold assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and return it to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, 9 August 2026, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku—Ranking Member on Parliament’s Agriculture Committee and Co-Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture—argued that the legislation was rushed through without adequate engagement. Laid before Parliament on 28 July, the Bill was passed within a week.
The proposed legislation repeals the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81) and introduces new governance structures, a dedicated tribunal, and new criminal offences.
The NPP raised particular concern over provisions prohibiting farmers from destroying or uprooting cocoa trees without prior authorisation from the Ghana Cocoa Board. Dr Opoku warned that these restrictions would unnecessarily hamper routine farm management—such as removing diseased, unproductive, or aged trees—and risk exposing farmers to sanctions.
“We urge His Excellency the President to withhold his assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and return the same to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation,” Dr Opoku stated.
The party maintained that legislation with far-reaching consequences for the future of Ghana’s cocoa industry must undergo thorough scrutiny and direct engagement with cocoa farmers, landowners, and key industry stakeholders before becoming law.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana