The Minority in Parliament has opposed the government’s decision to fast-track the passage of the new Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Bill under a certificate of urgency, insisting that the proposed legislation requires broad stakeholder consultation before it is approved.

Speaking during debate on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, July 29 the Member of Parliament for Offoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, argued that the Bill, which was laid by the Finance Minister last Thursday, is fundamentally different from an amendment Bill introduced last year.

According to him, the proposed legislation is a completely new Bill that seeks to repeal the existing COCOBOD law and establish a new legal framework for managing Ghana’s cocoa industry.

“This is a totally new Bill that repeals the old one. While it incorporates some provisions from the amendment Bill, it contains many other significant changes,” he said.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah noted that the Bill substantially restructures the governance of the cocoa sector, including issues relating to Retention on Board (ROB) and the overall architecture of COCOBOD, making it necessary for stakeholders to scrutinise its provisions.

He called for cocoa farmers’ groups, civil society organisations and other industry stakeholders to be given the opportunity to study the Bill and present their views before Parliament proceeds with its passage.

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

The Minority MP also recalled previous engagements led by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, involving academia and civil society organisations to promote broader public participation in the legislative process.

Questioning the urgency surrounding the Bill, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah urged the Majority to allow more time for consultation.

“There is no need to rush this. It is such an important piece of legislation that we should give ourselves time to consult before this House takes a decision on it,” he said.

The Bill seeks to establish a new legal framework for the management of Ghana’s cocoa industry and repeal the existing COCOBOD laws.

Despite the Minority’s objections and calls for wider consultation, the Majority approved the motion to consider the Bill under a certificate of urgency after the House voted on the matter.