Story by: Paul Mensah Nsor
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana is calling for an expanded audit of past fiscal management, stronger cocoa-sector governance, and improved communications to address rising tensions over farmer payments. This comes amid concerns over Ghana's cocoa industry, with the government facing pressure to ensure fair prices for farmers and stabilize the sector.
Speaking during an exclusive interview at the CDD-Ghana one-year assessment of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration , Samson Asaki Awingobit, Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, praised recent government efforts to stabilize the economy while calling for a comprehensive review of public finances dating back to 2017. Awingobit supported the finance ministry’s announced audit of the 2017–2024 period and urged that it be extended into 2025 to capture any actions taken during the current administration’s first months.
“We need clear standard operating procedures and national dialogue on contentious issues,” Awingobit said, arguing that an extended audit and the creation of SOPs would enhance transparency and public trust.
Awingobit recommended a national cocoa summit to depoliticize recent disputes and bring together political actors, industry managers and farmers to agree on long-term solutions.
He welcomed management’s moves to cut board remuneration in response to farmer discontent but said the Cocoa Board needs a seasoned communications head to manage high-profile messaging and prevent misunderstandings.
He also supported automatic price-adjustment mechanisms so farmer payments track world cocoa prices raising payments when global prices rise and scaling back as prices fall to reduce public confusion and allegations of mismanags.
The Executive Secretary credited the current government with stabilizing currency movements and meeting payment obligations to stakeholders, while criticizing the opposition for what he described as manufacturing “artificial scandals” around cocoa payments. He referenced global factors such as the Russia–Ukraine conflict as drivers of commodity and fuel price pressures, underscoring the need to contextualize domestic policy choices within global markets.
Awingobit emphasized shared responsibility between government and communities for land reclamation and environmental protections, noting improvements in some reclaimed sites and urging continued action to prevent long-term health and livelihood impacts.
At the close of the discussion the interview suggested a set of concrete steps: extend the forensic audit through 2025; develop and implement SOPs for cocoa-sector governance; convene a 2–3 day national cocoa summit with cross-party participation; appoint a senior communications head at the Cocoa Board; and hold targeted press engagements in cocoa-growing areas to explain policy changes directly to farmers.
As Ghana moves into the second year of the Mahama administration, stakeholders say delivering on transparency, clear communications and accountable stewardship of the cocoa sector will be central to maintaining farmer confidence and political stability.
