Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, says the challenges of the cocoa sector were not created in just one year.
Speaking on The KeyPoints with Alfred Ocansey on February 21, he stressed that governance is a continuum and that while the reduction in what is to be paid to cocoa farmers is “not pleasant,” “you cannot give what you do not have, even if you made a promise.”
According to him, rather than inflame tensions, government must engage directly with farmers because “the cocoa farmer today is not uninitiated” and deserves a clear explanation of the economic realities.
“Let us explain the true state of affairs instead of sitting in our offices claiming to fix things,” he said, arguing that if authorities demonstrate austerity and transparency, farmers will better understand the situation.
He also criticised sections of the opposition, saying, “You do not run down a sector, you do not run down an economy and still want to assert the right to dictate how the problems you created should be fixed.”
Welcoming moves toward accountability, Prof. Gyampo said, “Those who are found culpable must be dealt with,” adding that leadership must be exercised with the awareness that “tomorrow you may be called to account.”
Looking ahead, he urged reforms that draw on international best practice and sustained dialogue, insisting that “the key solution lies in going back to the cocoa farmers to dialogue with them” so the sector can be rebuilt and made vibrant again.
READ ALSO: https://3news.com/business/cocobod-has-shortchanged-the-cocoa-farmer-simple-ahiagbah
