The development is also said to be impacting on projected revenue from the cash crop to improve operations in the sub-sector.

This notwithstanding, the government has maintained the producer price of cocoa for farmers.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NoJT34yfOeAnrLHI3QXcpQYJQb2JTfgd”]Checks by Citi Business News have shown that, the price of a tonne of cocoa on the international market is presently estimated at 2000 dollars.

This is a marked drop from the figures recorded around the same period in 2016.

Also, data from the Bank of Ghana has shown that between August 2016 and August 2017, the price of cocoa on the international market, dropped from $ 2,993.5 to $ 1,947.6 per tonne.

This represents a 35 percent drop in the international price of the cash crop.

As a result, cocoa recorded the least growth in export revenue of about 16 percent; between the one year period.

Revenue from the commodity amounted to 1.99 billion dollars in August 2017, from the 1.72 dollars in August 2016.

At a media briefing to announce the producer price for cocoa on Friday, October 13, Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, lamented the impact of the declining prices.

“As a result, this country is losing about 1.1 billion US dollars a year, which is quite substantial for a small economy like Ghana… it’s a real shock,” he stated.

Cocoa’s contribution to GDP rises

Meanwhile, the 2017 second quarter GDP figures released by the Ghana Statistical Service show that, the cocoa sub-sector grew by 15.6%.

The sector’s contribution to GDP went up from 64 million cedis in the second of 2016, to 74 million cedis in the same period this year.

Gov’t maintains cocoa prices

But government has maintained the producer price of cocoa for farmers for the 2017/2018 crop season at 7600 cedis per metric tonne.

This translates into 475 cedis per bag of 64 kilograms.

“The price of cocoa on the international market has witnessed a dramatic decline to a ten year low from more than $3000 per tonne only 10 months ago to as low as $1900 in recent months. The situation has compelled other countries to reduce drastically their producer prices of cocoa,” Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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UTAG declared an indefinite strike on Thursday over what they say is government’s delay to payment their book and research allowance.

The Ministry,  however insists negotiations were ongoing when the Association declared the strike.

According to the Ministry, UTAG failed to keep faith with the Ministry’s processes, hence the decision to drag it before the NLC.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, the President of UTAG, Dr. Ofori Bekoe said the Association was unfazed by the Ministry’s decision to drag UTAG to court, saying, “we are not afraid to go before the labour commission.. “

Mr. Bekoe denied the Ministry’s claims that UTAG failed to go through the laid processes in declaring the strike, adding that UTAG had “followed due process”

According to him, the Ministry has always “had a problem with UTAG embarking on a strike” even in instances when the Association had every right to do so.

He insisted UTAG officially informed the NLC before embarking on its strike. “We notified them that we were going on strike and they suggested we put our strike on hold. But we have discussed this issue without answers so we resolved to embark on a strike,”he said.

Commenting on the payment of their book and research allowance, he emphasized the need for the payment to be made since teachers lack the required resources needed to conduct research.

Speaking on the same platform, the President of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) emphasized the need for government to pay the book and research allowance since it a “working tool for teachers”

“The Book and research allowance is a working tool for teachers and it has not been paid …those allowances should be paid,” Mr. Dugra insisted.

By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The court was compelled to adjourn the case since the submission to be filed by the respondent had not yet been placed on the docket of the court.

Counsel for the applicants, Ocscar Asante Nnuro, however prayed the court to expedite hearing of the case.

The court, adjourned the case to July 14, for the determination as to whether the strike was legal.

At the last adjourned date, Council for the Respondent, Mr Justine Pwavra Teriwajah, told the court that they had already filed a preliminary objection to the application.

He said the NLC had no legal right to summon them before court, and that, they were in objection to the application.

The NLC was in court to enforce its directive for polytechnic teachers to call off their over-a-month old strike as well as enforce its ruling in the disparity between the Government and POTAG over the scrapping of the research and book allowances.

The NLC had ruled that POTAG should return to work while arbitration procedures were initiated to address the concern but POTAG had refused.

The POTAG has since May laid down its tools after Government failed to pay its book and research allowance for the 2013/2014 academic year.

Meanwhile, members of the Polytechnic Students Association of Ghana, has asked Government to intervene in the disagreement between their lecturers and the National Labour Commission since the strike action is affecting academic work.

Source: GNA

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The directive which is contained in a statement issued by the Commission and initialed by its Director of Industrial Relations, Martin Didemudo, pointed out that POTAG failed to comply with the provisions of the Labour Act, 2003, (Act 651), regarding notification to embark on a strike action.

The statement said, after deliberations with representatives of the Association, the Commission has come to the conclusion that POTAG’s strike was illegal.

Source: GNA

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