Chairman of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, has defended the decision to pass the new Cocoa Bill under a certificate of urgency, saying the move was necessary ahead of the 2026/2027 cocoa season.
He explained that delaying the legislation until Parliament returned from recess in October could have affected planned reforms in the cocoa sector, particularly those relating to producer pricing and financing arrangements.
According to Dr. Jasaw, Ghana’s cocoa industry is facing several challenges, including climate change, illegal mining, declining productivity and limited access to sustainable financing.
He said the new law seeks to strengthen the regulatory framework governing the sector, but cautioned that it should not be seen as a complete solution to all the problems facing cocoa production.
“Enacting this new law is not the end in itself, but it is a step towards consolidating all the regulations and laws that have hitherto governed the subsector,” he said.
Speaking on Citi FM, Dr. Jasaw said the urgency behind the passage of the Bill was linked to the start of the new cocoa season in September, when key decisions on producer prices and other industry policies are expected to be made.
He noted that government needed the legal backing provided by the legislation before implementing planned reforms to the cocoa pricing and financing system.
The lawmaker added that Parliament’s recess schedule also influenced the decision to fast-track the process, since lawmakers would not resume sitting until October.
He argued that postponing the passage of the Bill could have created legal challenges for government’s efforts to introduce measures aimed at revitalising the cocoa sector.
Dr. Jasaw further rejected claims that the legislation was rushed through Parliament without adequate stakeholder consultation.
He said extensive engagements had taken place before the Bill was presented to the House, including consultations led by the Ghana Cocoa Board in cocoa-growing communities.
He added that the Joint Finance Committee and the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament also reviewed the Bill extensively before it was debated and passed.
“The stakeholder consultation is not a one-off thing. It’s a process. As many stakeholders as possible, in my view, were consulted,” he added.
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