The Minority in Parliament is expressing serious concerns about the potential collapse of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) as a result of its substantial indebtedness to banks.

As indicated by the Minority, COCOBOD's 2024 budget foresees a significant loss of 2.6 billion Ghana Cedis, raising worries about possible defaults on loan payments.

In the aftermath of President Nana Akufo-Addo's recent State of the Nation Address, Eric Opoku, the Minority Spokesperson on the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament, conveyed his concerns about COCOBOD's precarious financial situation in an interview with Citi News.

Opoku expressed apprehension about COCOBOD's financial distress, stating, “The President created an erroneous impression that importation of rice in Ghana has been on the decline. That is not true.”

Contrary to President Akufo-Addo's claim in his State of the Nation Address that rice importation into Ghana decreased between 2021 and 2023, Eric Opoku disputed this assertion, saying, "The President created an erroneous impression that importation of rice in Ghana has been on the decline. That is not true."

Additionally, Opoku highlighted the challenges faced by workers, revealing that approximately 35,000 employees of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) are now unemployed due to the collapse of the firm.