The Majority in Parliament has taken a swipe at some comments made by the Minority and has discredited allegations raised in a Press Conference on government’s refusal to increase the producer price of cocoa, therefore calling on Ghanaians to distant themselves from the untruth propaganda of the NDC in quest for attention, and also entreats all to ignore those exaggeratives and unrealistic calculations which they (Majority) termed as “Onaapo economics” of the NDC.

“The Stabilization Fund was established during the 2007/08 cocoa season and not in 2014 as claimed by the Minority in Parliament, and is neither to be used to increase producer price, nor pay bonuses as stated earlier, but rather to stabilize prices for the farmers”

“We also wish to state that, for the record, that “Cocoa Fertilizer Distribution Programme, otherwise known as Cocoa Hi-Tech Programme was introduced in 2004 and not by Former President John Dramani Mahama. Since the introduction of the programme, a lot of successes have been chalked in terms production output”. The Majority has emphatically stated.

According to them, the Stabilization Fund is rather a standby Fund which ensures that irrespective of how low cocoa prices fall on the world market, Ghanaian farmers do not suffer a reduction in producer price.

The creation of the fund, they said, underpins government’s commitment to reduce the exposure of cocoa farmers to price volatility on the world cocoa market.

This was reiterated in a Press Conference by the Majority on Friday, as a way of clarifying some issues raised in the Minority Press Conference held on Wednesday, June 21, and to also call on the Minority to appreciate government’s effort of providing Ghanaians what they (Minority) could not achieve during their term of office, instead of criticizing government’s initiatives.

“The NDC during their time in power did not see them reach into the stabilization fund to increase the producer price of cocoa, following drops on the world market in the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 crop seasons”

The Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Akim Oda constituency, Hon. William Quaitoo who addressed the press also said, despite those drops “the price was not increased.”

“It simply cannot be done. We cannot increase it and in their time it happened. Two years consecutively cocoa prices were not increased and we don’t see how the prices can be increased in the coming year,” Hon. William Quaitoo has disclosed.

Governance is not about propaganda and lies, but reality, so the Minority must wake up to reality, which is the government’s commitment of ensuring that the ordinary farmer does not suffer a reduction in producer price and also support the “One farmer One fertilizer initiative “ to ensure an equitable distribution for all.

Story: Blessing Roselyn Boateng

 

Exclusively Newslinegh