Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana Business School, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, has heavily criticised both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for what he calls the “poor management” of Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Speaking on the JoyNews program Newsfile on Saturday, August 23, Professor Bokpin argued that successive governments have failed farmers and the nation through short-sighted policies and politically motivated pricing.
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“Both the NPP and NDC owe Ghanaians an apology big time for their handling of the sector,” he asserted.
According to the economist, the recent controversy over the new cocoa producer price is merely a symptom of a deeper, systemic problem.
He stated that the cocoa industry, once the backbone of Ghana’s economy, has been weakened by a lack of investment, poor transparency, and an unsustainable pricing model that fails to adequately reward farmers for their hard work.
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“We cannot continue like this. Farmers are treated unfairly, promises are made and broken, and the sector is left vulnerable,” he said.
Professor Bokpin called for a bipartisan approach to reform the cocoa sector, emphasising that the industry needs a “structural overhaul, accountability, and a new vision that treats farmers as true stakeholders” to survive and remain competitive globally.
VPO/EB
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