Amin Adam criticises Ato Forson over new Cocoa Sector Reforms
13th February 2026
The Member of Parliament for Karaga, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, has criticised the government’s newly announced cocoa sector reforms, accusing Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, of failing to prioritise the welfare of cocoa farmers.
Speaking in reaction to the Minister’s press conference on February 13, 2026, Dr Amin Adam said he had anticipated a detailed restructuring roadmap for the sector but was instead disappointed by what he described as measures that disadvantage producers.
According to him, the announcement fell short of addressing the real structural challenges confronting the cocoa industry.
Dr Amin Adam contended that before the change in administration, a comprehensive turnaround strategy for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) had already been developed in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He explained that the plan was intended to reform COCOBOD’s operations, strengthen its financial position and enhance efficiency along the cocoa value chain.
He argued that the current difficulties in the sector stem from the government’s failure to implement that framework.
The Karaga MP further stated that some of the measures recently outlined by the Finance Minister — including transferring responsibility for cocoa roads to the Ministry of Roads — were already captured in the earlier blueprint.
He maintained that the strategy also proposed a transparent, legislated pricing framework to ensure fairness in determining producer prices, as well as the removal of certain cost components that reduce farmers’ share of revenue. He claimed these proposals have not been implemented.
Dr Amin Adam also criticised what he described as COCOBOD’s continued involvement in non-core activities, insisting that the turnaround strategy sought to refocus the institution on its primary mandate while improving procurement processes.
In his view, a fresh restructuring announcement would have been unnecessary if the previous strategy had been properly executed, arguing that effective implementation would have prevented the current challenges facing the cocoa regulator.