News:
February 17, 2021
Minister-designate for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah has said if children are engaged in the production of cocoa in Ghana it can lead to consumers being forced to reject cocoa from Ghana.
According to him he is aware of a study commissioned by the United States Department for Labour on child labour situation in Ghana and Ivory Coast in the area of cocoa production. So far four different surveys had been conducted.
He noted that the first survey was conducted in 2008, the second in 2013, third in 2014 and the last one in 2018, and as a result of that most of Ghana’s cocoa growing areas more children are engaged in cocoa production.
“If we are not careful, the implication is that consumers would be forced to reject cocoa from Ghana, and I agree with MPs that this is an important issue that needs urgent attention”.
On Thursday, February 17, 2021 while before the Appointment Committee, he revealed that the nation has developed a national plan of action which it inherited from the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, which expired in 2018.
“We have developed another one subsequently to combat child labour. We have been able to bring all child labour interest groups together, within one environment, we meet and discuss and coordinate their activities and monitor them to find out what they are doing to help eradicate child labour”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com