NPP urges Mahama to return Cocoa Board Bill to Parliament for wider consultation

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called upon President John Dramani Mahama to withdraw his approval of the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and send it back to Parliament for a more extensive consultation with stakeholders. This request comes after the opposition party claims the legislation was rushed through Parliament without adequate input from key players in the cocoa industry.

Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, the ranking member on Parliament’s Agriculture Committee and Co-Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture, made this demand during a press conference on August 9, 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to replace the Ghana Cocoa Board Law of 1984, introducing significant alterations to how the cocoa sector is governed and regulated.

Among the changes, the Bill proposes new governance structures, the formation of a tribunal, and the establishment of new offences. Dr Opoku noted that the Bill was introduced to Parliament on July 28 and passed within the same week, suggesting insufficient time for thorough discussion with farmers and other relevant parties. The opposition party is particularly concerned about sections of the Bill that prohibit the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees without prior authorization from the Ghana Cocoa Board.

This requirement could hinder farmers' ability to manage their land, especially when dealing with diseased, unproductive, or aged cocoa trees. Dr Opoku questioned the necessity of obtaining prior approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board for such actions, arguing that it could overly constrain farmers' decision-making. The NPP emphasized that any law affecting cocoa farmers and the industry as a whole must be subject to thorough consultation before becoming law.

The party warned that the proposed legislation could impact not only existing cocoa farmers but also the long-term viability of Ghana’s cocoa industry, a vital component of the national economy. Therefore, the NPP urged President Mahama to return the Bill to Parliament for further review and broader engagement with cocoa farmers, landowners, and other stakeholders before it is re-examined.