BY Daniel Bampoe
Pressure is mounting on the Mahama administration to fulfill its pledge to revive PBC Limited, Ghana’s once-dominant cocoa purchasing company, as workers reveal that many employees have gone more than 27 months without receiving salaries amid worsening financial conditions at the state-linked firm.
In a statement issued on June 11, 2026, workers and union representatives accused the government of failing to act on repeated promises made before and after the 2024 elections to restore the fortunes of the company, which for decades played a central role in the cocoa purchasing system.
The latest concerns emerge at a time when the cocoa sector itself remains under intense scrutiny following controversies over cocoa producer prices, delayed payments to farmers, funding challenges facing Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), and complaints from purchasing clerks across cocoa-growing regions.
According to the workers, expectations of a turnaround at PBC were raised significantly during the 2024 election campaign when President Mahama toured cocoa-growing communities, including Enchi, Debiso, Sefwi Wiawso, and Kumasi, where he reportedly assured stakeholders that PBC would be restored to its former glory. Similar commitments were later echoed by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and other government officials after the NDC assumed office.
However, workers say conditions have instead deteriorated. They claim that despite the promises, the company continues to struggle with severe liquidity constraints, inadequate working capital, and declining operational capacity, making it difficult to compete effectively in the cocoa purchasing market.
The unions revealed that workers have endured more than two years without salaries, describing the situation as unbearable for hundreds of affected families. According to them, many employees can no longer meet basic household expenses, pay school fees, settle rent obligations, or afford medical treatment.
“Workers have gone without salary payment for more than 27 months,” the statement noted, warning that the prolonged delay is causing severe economic and emotional distress among staff.
The workers painted a bleak picture of conditions within the company. They disclosed that some drivers earn approximately GH¢1,000 monthly, while clerical staff receive between GH¢1,200 and GH¢1,500.
Even some senior officers reportedly earn between GH¢2,050 and GH¢3,500 despite possessing master’s degrees and professional qualifications.
The unions further disclosed that workers have not enjoyed salary adjustments in more than a decade. Casual employees, they said, have gone more than 36 months without receiving allowances, with some surviving on monthly earnings as low as GH¢350.
Another major concern raised by the workers relates to the Buipe Shea Processing Factory, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PBC.
The employees expressed concern over government’s takeover of the facility and called for either its return to PBC or the removal of debts associated with the project from the company’s books.
According to them, the financial burden linked to the subsidiary continues to weigh heavily on PBC’s already fragile finances and further undermines efforts to stabilize the company.
The workers also appealed directly to President Mahama, warning that the prolonged crisis is having devastating consequences on staff welfare.
They claim some workers are unable to access healthcare due to financial difficulties, while others are struggling to feed their families and support their children’s education.
“Staff are dying from an inability to afford hospital bills; we cannot pay our wards’ school fees, and feeding our families has become next to impossible,” the statement said.
The appeal comes amid broader concerns about the cocoa industry, where farmers have recently complained about reduced producer prices, delayed cocoa payments, lack of ready markets, and funding shortages affecting purchasing activities.
Throughout the Minority Caucus’ nationwide cocoa sector engagements, many purchasing clerks and cocoa stakeholders raised similar concerns about the weakening financial condition of institutions operating within the cocoa value chain.
For the workers of PBC, however, the issue goes beyond politics and promises. They are demanding immediate action to rescue the company, protect existing jobs, and restore confidence in one of Ghana’s most historic cocoa institutions.
“You promised to create jobs; please do not collapse an existing one,” the workers appealed, urging government to move beyond assurances and deliver concrete interventions to save the struggling company.
