Member of Parliament for the Keta Constituency Kwame Dzudzorli Gapkey has slammed the decision to import cocoa from Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
Ghana is set to import 2,500 tonnes of cocoa beans from Côte d’Ivoire and 1,000 tonnes from Nigeria.
Delivery is expected to be made through the Tema Port.
This information was contained in a letter signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, which was sighted by Ahotoronline.com and addressed to Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company Limited.
Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company is requested to provide detailed information on the name of the vessel, shipment schedule, quantity of beans to be imported, and date/time of arrival, among other details.
But reacting to this on Ahotor 92.3 FM‘s afternoon political show Simpieso, the Keta MP told host Emmanuel Martey that it is worrying for Ghana to be importing cocoa from other countries.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) however has disclosed that all cocoa processing companies in Ghana established post-November 2001 are permitted by law to import cocoa beans for processing in the country.
It is therefore dismissing a misrepresentation on social media about the widespread circulation of an official letter to Afrotropic Cocoa Processing Company Limited to import cocoa beans and process in Ghana.
But the Keta Member of Parliament said it is the first time he has heard Ghana is importing cocoa from other countries.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites) / Ahotoronline.com
