President John Mahama must not assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026,the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said.
The NPP urged him to return it to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation. The opposition party argued that the Bill was rushed through Parliament without sufficient engagement with cocoa farmers and other key stakeholders, despite provisions it says could have far-reaching implications for the cocoa industry.
Ranking Member on Parliament’s Agriculture Committee and Co-Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, made the call at a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
According to him, the Bill, which repeals the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81), introduces significant changes, including new governance arrangements, the establishment of a tribunal and the creation of new offences.
Dr Opoku said the Bill was laid before Parliament on July 28 and passed within the same week, arguing that the process did not provide enough time for meaningful consultation with cocoa farmers, landowners and other industry stakeholders.
“We urge His Excellency the President to withhold his assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and return the same to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation,” he said.
Concern Over Cocoa Tree Restrictions
The NPP also raised concerns about provisions restricting the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees without prior authorisation.
Dr Opoku argued that such a requirement could unnecessarily restrict farmers in managing their own farms and potentially expose them to sanctions for activities such as removing diseased, unproductive or moribund cocoa trees.
He questioned why cocoa farmers should require prior approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board before removing trees they consider no longer productive or suitable for cultivation.
According to him, any legislation that significantly affects the rights and operations of cocoa farmers should be subjected to extensive consultation before becoming law.
