Parliament passes COCOBOD Bill 2026 amid Minority pushback over Certificate of Urgency

The Parliament of Ghana has passed the Ghana COCOBOD Bill 2026, a major law to regulate and overhaul the legal framework of the country’s cocoa value chain in a bid to boost production and revenue generation.

The Bill was considered under a Certificate of Urgency, a move that sparked strong opposition from the Minority in Parliament.

Minority demands broader consultation

Contributing to debate on the floor on Wednesday, the MP for Ofoase Ayirebi, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, argued that the legislation requires broad national consultation before passage.

He noted that the new Bill, laid by the Minister for Finance last Thursday, is materially different from an amendment Bill laid last year.

“This one is a totally new Bill that repeals the old one. Yes, it incorporates some of the issues in the amendment Bill but it has many other provisions,” the MP said.

According to him, the Bill “literally re-legislates how the entire cocoa industry should be managed” and has significant implications, citing issues around ROB – Retention on Board and the overall architecture of COCOBOD.

The Minority called for stakeholder engagement, arguing that farmers groups and civil society organisations must be given an opportunity to make input.

“There are farmers groups that must be given an opportunity to see what is in this Bill which has been taken to committee… There are civil society organisations that have views when it comes to agriculture and the cocoa industry,” he said.

Hon. Oppong Nkrumah referenced a program chaired by Speaker Bagbin with academia and CSOs on the need to create room for experts to input into legislation.

“What is the reason for which we want to rush this through one night?… There’s no need to rush with this. It’s such a big deal that we should give ourselves some time and consult some more before this House takes a decision on it,” he urged colleagues on the Majority side.

After extensive debate, the House took a vote on the motion and the Majority side carried the day.

Key provisions of the COCOBOD Bill 2026
The new law seeks to provide a new legal architecture for managing the cocoa industry and repeal existing COCOBOD laws. Key provisions include:

• Farmer income guarantee: Cocoa farmers are guaranteed a minimum of 70 per cent of the Free on Board (FOB) price.
• Local processing mandate: At least 50 per cent of all cocoa beans produced must be processed locally before export.
• Environmental protection: New measures to protect the cocoa farm environment from degradation.
• Cocoa Tribunal: A dedicated tribunal to address infractions, disputes, and regulatory breaches within the sector.

Proponents say the reforms will make Ghana’s cocoa industry more sustainable, profitable, and competitive globally while ensuring farmers get a fair share of earnings.

The Bill will take effect after it receives presidential assent.

Nana Prekoh Eric

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