Report by Nana POKU
The much-touted Cocoa Farmer’s Pension Scheme saw actualization when an 11-member Board of Trustees was inaugurated at the Alisa Hotel in Accra yesterday.
Launching the scheme, the Minister for Labour and Social Welfare, Hon Ignatius Baffour Awua urged the Board members to rise to the occasion to justify the confidence reposed in them.
“This is a blend of intellectuals and farmers that have been carefully selected to serve the country and our revered farmers and you must serve the interest of the Beneficiaries not your own interests,” he said.
The minister said that when people get appointment, they most invariably change their lifestyles. He expressed the hope that these board members would not disappoint the hardworking farmers whose toil has sent the country to its current economic status.
“Even though the scheme is a bit late but it is a major relief for our ageing farmers some of whom die as paupers in our villages. The scheme has therefore come to lesson the burden on farmers’ children who would have to take care of their old parent farmers who saw them through their education. Let no board member intimidate another, but work together to achieve your objective,” he said.
He praised the government and the president for this bold and laudable initiative that would attract more farmers to the land especially the youth. The minister asked the COCOBOD to keep to the terms of the bargain by paying the farmers’ contribution regularly to the Pension scheme to ensure smooth retirement for the cocoa farmers.
The Director General of the Pensions Regulatory Authority asked the Board Members to educate themselves to be abreast with the intricacies of the scheme. This will enable them be conversant with the day to day workings and processes of the scheme.
He also lauded the benefits of the scheme to the farming community and urged COCOBOD to live to expectation through timely and regular payment of farmers contribution into the scheme to enable his outfit to invest to grow the scheme.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the 11-member Board, Mr Aidoo Mensah assured the ministers of Agriculture and Labour of their resolve to execute their responsibility with merit and honesty.
He praised the president for fulfilling his promise to introduce this novelty scheme to alleviate the suffering of over 2 million cocoa farmers in the country per the scheme. He said the president announced the institution of this scheme in December 2020 and for him to carry it through shows the commitment and sincerity of the president.
Present were some farmer organizations, buying agencies, COCOBOD officials, Cocoa Manufacturing companies and other stakeholders.
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