Kyebi (E/R), Feb. 16, GNA - Only ten out of 46 weighing scales of Cocoa Purchasing Clerks examined in the East Akim District fall within the maximum permissible error range.

This came to light after a four-day exercise code named "Operation Cocoa Scale" by a team including the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene, officials of the District Assembly and technical personnel from the Ghana Standards Board.

During the exercise, which started last Wednesday, weighing scales of Cocoa Purchasing Clerks also known as Cocoa Marketing Clerks of the different Cocoa Buying Companies were examined.

Nine out of the ten, which fell within the maximum permissible error range, belonged to the Produce Buying Company (PBC).

The only scale within the accepted limit belonging to a private purchasing company was for the Olam Ghana Limited, at Kwabeng manned by Mr Samuel Darkwa, one of the Assembly Members for the area. In all weighing scales of 16 Marketing Clerks of the PBC were examined.

The other weighing scales examined belonged to the Transroyal, Adwumapa, Fedco, Cocoa Merchant, Federation Commodities and Kuapa Kooko buying companies.

Explaining the rational for the exercise, Mr. Asihene said it was to ensure that the Purchasing Clerks paid the correct weight value for loads of cocoa purchased from the farmers.

He said the Assembly observed that the Purchasing Clerks were exploiting the cocoa farmers by paying them lower prices for their produce with every increase in the producer price and undertook the exercise to check the negative trend.

"As if to insult the intelligence of Government Officials, some Purchasing Clerks are manipulating the measuring scales to under pay farmers.

Due to the increase in the money value for their produce, several farmers do not seem to realise that Purchasing Clerks are defrauding them," Mr Asihene said.

"The East Akim District Assembly believes that it is it's responsibility to ensure that the Government's objective of improving the livelihood of rural farmers is protected, hence the exercise," the DCE added.