The Oti Regional Minister, Joshua Makubu has expressed concern over the frequent smuggling of cocoa beans from the region to neighboring countries.
He noted that, this contributes to the underdevelopment of major roads.
The Regional Minister expressed the concerns at a community sensitization program in Likpe on Thursday, which focused on boundary reaffirmation between Ghana and Togo.
The Minister called on chiefs in the Likpe area to caution residents against illegal exports.
Mr. Makubu also mentioned that cocoa production has declined, and the benefits intended for the development of cocoa roads have been delayed, emphasizing that this delay should not be blamed on the government.
“There is a menace that is dragging us back as far as cocoa production in the Oti region is concerned. In 2019, we used to price about 8000 tonnes of cocoa. As we speak, the Oti region is even struggling to produce 100 tonnes. Not because our trees are not yielding, but because whatever cocoa we produce is smuggled out of the country. This is affecting our revenues and our development, including the cocoa roads.
“So each time you are taking cocoa across the boundaries of Ghana and you see any road untarred under the Cocoa Road project, you should know that we have done it for ourselves and not that the government is not interested. I want to encourage Nananom to talk to our brothers and sisters to see to it that this exercise is stopped so that we can build it together and enjoy it together,” he said.
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