Accra (Greater Accra), 28th April ?99 --

The Minister of Finance, Mr Kwame Peprah has reiterated government's determination to sustain major reforms and restructuring in the cocoa sector that would make it more attractive and align it with the Vision 2020 development programme.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Mr Peprah said the reforms, which were launched in 1983, have yielded positive changes in the industry.

These include the payment of remunerative producer prices, a reduction in the level of cocoa tax, streamlining the activities of the Cocobod and the introduction of competition in the internal marketing of cocoa.

He said government is committed to the recommendations put forward by experts and stakeholders to address pertinent issues in the sector and bring it in line with the overall agricultural development.

In line with the strategy recommended during the consultations, government has set dates and modalities for the payment of 60 per cent or more free-on-board prices to farmers, beginning with the mid crop of 1999.

The strategy also provides for Licensed Buying Companies, including the Produce Buying Company, to be allowed to export up to 30 per cent of their domestic purchases beginning in the crop year 2000/01.

He said a steering Committee made up of major stakeholders in the sector, will be set up to see to the implementation of the Strategy.

It will be recalled that as part of the reforms, the Ministry of Finance in September last year, set up a task force made up of experts in various fields to review the cocoa sector and advise government on strategies to prepare the sector for the next millennium.

Mr Peprah said the strategy was based on the report of the task force after it had been comprehensively discussed by the key players at two workshops held last November and January this year.

The Minister said a summary of the strategy document will be made available on the internet this week while the whole document will be available later at the Ministry of Finance.

GRi?