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$200m boost for cocoa production
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has received US$200 million loan facility from a consortium of banks for the take-off of the Productivity Enhancement Programmes (PEPs).
The facility is the first tranche of a US$600 million credit from the banks signed in 2017 to enhance both cultivation of cocoa beans and the processing of same in the country.
Chief Executive Officer of the Board, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, who disclosed this in Accra yesterday at the launch of the syndicated loan facility for the PEPs said the facility has come at a right time to support the cocoa sector.
The facility will among others increase cocoa production through the PEPs, irrigation facilities, the expansion of warehousing capacity, processing and promotion of cocoa consumption, as well as, the creation of a reliable database required for the smooth distribution of inputs to farmers.
“We believe this loan will support us to strengthen the cocoa value chain, help alleviate poverty by increasing productivity and promoting a progressive cocoa consumption environment,” the CEO of COCOBOD said.
According to him, through the Board’s own resources, significant progress has been made in efforts to implement the PEPs to increase yield per hectare to at least 1000 kilograms.
For example the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease control programme which is in its second year in the Western and Eastern Regions, Mr Aidoo said, has seen the rehabilitation of several hectares of diseased farms.
Additionally, Mr Aidoo said the 2020 mass pruning exercise which began two months ago has been excellent; adding that, “We have achieved 100 per cent coverage of farm area, giving more prospects for higher yields.”
He assured the investors that the fund would be used judiciously to achieve the intent behind the programme.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, on his part said in government’s effort to ensure the provision of quality extension services and give farmers equal access to all of its interventions, “we have rolled out a cocoa management system which will enable us have adequate and accurate data of our farmers, farms, licensed buying companies input suppliers and other players in the cocoa value chain”.
The cocoa price volatility on the world market, Dr Akoto said, required that domestic processing was increased to ensure a stable income for farmers.
Linking local production and consumption, he said “amidst the current Coronavirus pandemic, I strongly believe that increased intake of cocoa with high concentration of flavanols and its associated components will help significantly in fighting the disease”.
Mr Yasumichi Araki, the Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the lead of the Consortium, hoping that the partnership would yield the needed result underscored the need for greater support for the protection of farmers’ livelihoods.
The rest of the firms making up the consortium include the Africa Development Bank, Development Bank of South Africa, Credit Suisse, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Italian investment firm CDP.
Source: Ghanaian Times
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
