Accra, Feb. 19, – The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority Caucus in Parliament has firmly rejected calls for a bailout package to cocoa farmers, squarely attributing the sector's crisis to what it termed "excessive and irresponsible borrowing" by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Mr Isaac Adongo, Chairman of Parliament's Finance Committee, made this position clear during a press conference themed "Cocoa Sector Reforms and Matters Arising" at Parliament House Thursday. He revealed Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) inherited a staggering GH¢60 billion exposure, with loan portfolio alone hitting GH¢17.8 billion by early 2025, plus other crippling obligations.
"That vehicle could not be sustainable and needed addressing," Mr Adongo stated, explaining why COCOBOD cannot secure fresh financing amid 28% producer price slash (GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587 per 64kg bag) and global price slump.
The NPP Minority Caucus had earlier demanded emergency liquidity support to cushion farmers facing delayed payments since November 2025. The Majority Caucus gathering included leadership plus Chairpersons of Finance, Economic, and Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committees.
The rejection signals government's prioritisation of fiscal discipline over short-term bailouts, amid parallel efforts to cede 266 cocoa roads (GH¢23 billion) to Roads Ministry and enforce 50% local processing quotas.
GHBUSS
19 February 2026
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