BY ISSAH OLEGOR
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has announced the full settlement of GH¢162 million owed to individual holders of Cocoa Bills who declined to participate in the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), marking another step in efforts to restore confidence in the financial management of Ghana’s cocoa sector.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, COCOBOD said the payment represents the full settlement of all outstanding obligations owed to eligible investors whose investments remained unpaid following the implementation of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme in 2023.
According to the Board, the outstanding liabilities arose after the introduction of the DDEP, when some individual Cocoa Bill holders chose not to participate in the debt restructuring programme.
Due to the financial difficulties confronting COCOBOD at the time, payments to those investors could not be made as scheduled.
However, the Board says it has now fully honoured those obligations. “The Board has now fully settled these obligations as part of its commitment to honour all legitimate debts,” the statement noted.
COCOBOD advised all affected investors to contact their respective fund managers to access their payments while expressing appreciation for their patience and understanding throughout the period of delayed settlement.
The latest payment comes at a time when COCOBOD is undertaking broader financial restructuring to address challenges that have affected the cocoa industry over the past two years.
The Board has recently come under intense public scrutiny over delayed payments to cocoa farmers, liquidity challenges facing Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), indebtedness to agrochemical suppliers, and financing constraints affecting cocoa purchases.
Only weeks ago, COCOBOD announced the release of GH¢2.6 billion to Licensed Buying Companies to facilitate payments to cocoa farmers after months of complaints from farmers and purchasing clerks over delayed payments.
However, subsequent figures showed that billions of cedis in outstanding obligations to farmers and LBCs still remained unpaid, prompting continued calls for faster settlement of arrears.
Government has also announced a series of reforms within the cocoa sector, including a new domestic financing model for cocoa purchases, changes to producer pricing mechanisms, and measures aimed at strengthening COCOBOD’s long-term financial sustainability.
