The Minority in Parliament has consistently opposed the new cocoa bill since its introduction, raising concerns that the legislation could harm cocoa farmers. Jerome Kwame Sam, the Head of Public Affairs at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has responded to these claims, stating that they are unfounded.
COCOBOD Weighs In
According to Mr. Sam, the Minority has been opposed to the bill from day one, and he is not surprised that they continue to criticize it despite its passage in Parliament. He emphasizes that the expression of opinion is enshrined in the constitution, and COCOBOD cannot begrudge the Minority for expressing their concerns.
Mr. Sam maintains that the legislation was designed to protect the interests of cocoa farmers and introduced reforms that did not previously exist under the laws governing the sector. He argues that the bill seeks to protect the interest of the cocoa farmer and that there is nothing in the bill that should be of much concern to the cocoa farmer.
Scrutiny of the Bill
Mr. Sam rejects suggestions that COCOBOD drafted the bill without adequate scrutiny. He explains that experts were engaged in its preparation, and the bill was subjected to parliamentary review. He cites a provision concerning mining licences as an example of how parliamentary scrutiny helped improve the bill.
Initially, the bill required a person granted a mining licence to obtain the express permission of the COCOBOD Chief Executive. However, this was found to be inconsistent with constitutional provisions and the Minerals and Mining Act, as mineral deposits are vested in the President. As a result, amendments were made to reflect this change.
Credibility of the Narrative
Mr. Sam is concerned about the impression that Parliament had little or no opportunity to properly examine the bill. He argues that this narrative is unfounded and that Parliament had the opportunity to scrutinize the bill and make necessary amendments.
In fact, the initial version of the bill was found to be inconsistent with the constitution, and changes were made to reflect this. Mr. Sam asks how these changes would have been dealt with if Parliament had not had the opportunity to scrutinize the bill.
The passage of the bill has been met with criticism from the Minority, who have raised concerns about its potential impact on cocoa farmers. However, COCOBOD maintains that the legislation was designed to protect the interests of cocoa farmers and that the reforms introduced by the bill are beneficial to the sector.
The debate surrounding the new cocoa bill highlights the complexities of the sector and the need for careful consideration and scrutiny of legislation. As the bill continues to be implemented, it will be interesting to see how the concerns of the Minority are addressed and whether the reforms introduced by the bill will have a positive impact on cocoa farmers.
Source: Joy Online
