The report that Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is on track to meet the 50 percent local processing target of cocoa beans produced in the country and the announcement that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission will not give any evidence at the election petition case are some of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Tuesday.The Graphic reports that the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is on track to meet the 50 percent local processing target of cocoa beans produced in the country, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has said.
He said the country was currently processing about 40 percent of cocoa beans locally and was, therefore, confident of meeting the 50 per cent target soon.
At the launch of the National Chocolate Week, he said the chocolate week celebrations was part of a bigger drive by the board to promote local processing of cocoa to boost cocoa consumption among Ghanaians.
He said COCOBOD was determined to strengthen its incentive packages to help local processors and artisanal chocolate makers expand their businesses.
“The incentives will ensure that the processors are able to access more beans and produce more chocolates and other cocoa products for the consuming public,” he said.
The government in 2017 announced an ambitious plan to increase cocoa production to one million metric tonnes (MT) as it improves the local processing of the beans to 50 percent.
The country already has seven major cocoa processing firms and with an estimated processing capacity of about 500,000 mt, with the construction of a new 50,000 capacity processing factory in the Western Region currently ongoing.
The newspaper says that witness for the Electoral Commission (EC) in the 2020 election petition (EC), Mrs. Jean Mensa, who is also the Chairperson of the EC, will not give any evidence, lawyers for the EC have indicated to the Supreme Court.
Lead counsel for the EC, Mr. Justin Amenuvor, told the apex court that his client, (EC), which is the first respondent has decided not to adduce any evidence and therefore the court should decide the petition filed by former President John Dramani Mahama on its merit.
He premised his argument on Order 36 (4) sub rule 3 of the High Court (Civil Procedure Rule), C.I 47, which he argued allowed the respondent to decide not to adduce any evidence.
“The case of the first respondent is that we do not wish to adduce any evidence. Our case is closed”, he […]
