The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has announced plans to carry out an internal audit of its staff to determine the exact number of employees on its payroll and evaluate their roles.

The exercise aims to verify whether the regulator’s workforce exceeds 10,000 employees and assess whether staff are appropriately assigned to their portfolios.

The Head of Public Affairs at COCOBOD, Jerome Sam, confirmed the development in an interview with Citi Business News, explaining that the audit is part of efforts by CEO Randy Abbey to reposition the institution after inheriting what he described as an ailing cocoa sector.

"It is not even about the numbers. If we unearth that the over 10,000 staff are each productive and efficient in what they are doing, that is fine," Sam said.

"But if, upon a forensic or human resource audit, it is revealed that we can operate effectively with 5,000, 1,000, or even 500 people, and that will ensure the sustenance of the industry, then so be it," he added, stressing the Chief Executive’s commitment to leaving behind a viable and buoyant cocoa sector.

The audit will also determine whether all staff members warrant the portfolios they currently occupy. Sam emphasized the importance of the review, stating: "The HR audit will ascertain whether we indeed have over 10,000 permanent staff, as the Chief Executive was presented with. Beyond that, it will determine whether all these staff members warrant the portfolios they currently occupy."

The planned audit comes amid ongoing austerity measures in response to liquidity challenges in the cocoa sector. Executive management members have taken a 20 percent salary reduction, while senior staff have accepted a 10 percent pay cut.

At a recent press briefing, Dr. Abbey disclosed that COCOBOD operates with roughly 10,200 permanent staff and about 8,000 contract and casual employees across its subsidiaries and divisions.

The internal review is expected to inform potential restructuring measures aimed at improving efficiency and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa sector.