A joint operation by the Ghana Cocoa Board Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Unit and security agencies in the Bono Region has intercepted a truck loaded with over 100 bags of cocoa, suspected to have been smuggled from Cote d’Ivoire into the country.
Four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident at Nkrankwanta, a border town in the Dormaa West district, in what appeared to be a coordinated syndicate.
Enforcement
The Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, who announced this at a press conference on Monday, said the region had intensified its enforcement operations against illegal cocoa trading activities.
“It has been established that some individuals and networks are taking advantage of price differentials between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to smuggle cocoa, particularly from Côte d’Ivoire into Ghana,” he said.
Mr Akwaboa explained that during his “Accounting to the People” tour, he engaged farmers, traditional authorities, and other key stakeholders across the Dormaa zone, mainly Nkrankwanta, Dormaa-Ahenkro and Wamfie, where they raised serious concerns about the growing practice of cocoa smuggling in those areas.
He said smuggled cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire was sold at lower prices to the disadvantage of genuine Ghanaian cocoa farmers.
Challenges
Mr Akwaboa said follow-up engagements with the farmers further revealed challenges such as difficulty in selling cocoa beans and delayed payments, suggesting the existence of a coordinated syndicate undermining efforts to stabilise cocoa prices amid unfavourable global market conditions.
He said such illegal activities undermined the government’s investments in the cocoa sector and disrupted the work of Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) expected to prioritise locally produced cocoa.
The minister cautioned that if such negative practices were left unchecked, they could pose a serious threat to the sustainability of the cocoa industry and farmers’ livelihoods.
Findings
Mr Akwaboa said preliminary findings indicated that some LBCs, including those that had received financial support from the government, were allegedly diverting resources to purchase cheaper smuggled cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire.
That, he said, was depriving Ghanaian farmers of a ready market and frustrating the government’s interventions in the sector.
Mr Akwaboa accused some LBCs of being involved in purchasing from smugglers despite receiving government support and warned them to desist from such practices immediately or face the full rigours of the law.
He said some LBCs were also engaged in underpricing cocoa purchases, contrary to the official price structure, which translated to over GH¢2,500 per bag, approximately GH¢40 per kilogramme.
The minister added that some of the companies were buying at about GH¢30 per kilogramme and making unjustified deductions of about GH¢5 per kilogramme, leaving farmers with as low as GH¢1,600 per bag.
“We are coming after all those involved, whether smugglers, LBCs or purchasing clerks.
No one will be spared,” he said.
Mr Akwaboa said the anti-cocoa smuggling unit, security agencies and other stakeholders had intensified operations across the region’s hotspots.
The minister further cautioned those involved in moving around cocoa farming communities to misinform farmers about the government interventions at stabilising prices to put an immediate stop to that.
Commitment
Mr Akwaboa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to focus on protecting the integrity of the cocoa sector and safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers.
He urged the public to support the fight by providing timely information on suspicious cocoa smuggling activities.
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Source:
www.graphic.com.gh