By Prince Antwi
Ghana鈥檚 cocoa value chain is under renewed pressure as staff at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) office in Tema voice serious concerns over deteriorating working conditions and logistical setbacks.
Employees have highlighted several pressing issues, including cramped office spaces, outdated vehicles, inadequate remuneration, and the absence of essential food safety laboratories. These challenges, they say, are hampering productivity and threatening the country鈥檚 ability to maintain export quality standards.
Cocoa remains one of Ghana鈥檚 most vital sources of foreign exchange, making the situation particularly urgent. The staff are calling on COCOBOD leadership to intervene swiftly to avoid further disruption to the sector.
In response to these concerns, COCOBOD Board Chairman Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo addressed the issues during a recent familiarisation tour of the Tema office. He assured employees that measures are being taken to resolve the problems.
鈥淎pproval has been granted for management to acquire new operational vehicles to replace the aging fleet. Vehicles with registration numbers beginning with ‘Z’ and ‘Y’ will soon be phased out and replaced with models from the 2020鈥2025 series,鈥 Dr. Ofosu Ampofo stated.
He stressed the importance of reinvesting in the organization’s infrastructure to improve efficiency and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving global market.
鈥淎 portion of the revenue generated should go back into upgrading logistics and equipping staff with modern tools. In today鈥檚 world, ICT is at the heart of operations. If other countries are embracing 5G technology and we鈥檙e still relying on outdated systems, we will inevitably fall behind,鈥 he said.
The chairman鈥檚 remarks reflect a broader push for modernization across COCOBOD as the agency seeks to strengthen Ghana鈥檚 cocoa sector amid growing global demand and stricter quality standards.