The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has secured US$1.13 billion from a consortium of international banks to meet its financing needs to purchase cocoa and related operations for the 2022/23 cocoa crop season. 

The Board signed the agreement with Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited on behalf of the other lenders. 

Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, witnessed the signing ceremony together with the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, and Dr Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.  

“Despite the challenging context for COCOBOD and Ghana this year, the new annual financing for a thirtieth successive year closed successfully with the strong support of its relationship with banks and enhanced level of collateralisation and pricing, confirmed the longstanding successful track record of this PXF,” a statement said.  

The Ghanaian government confirmed its long term and continuous support to COCOBOD and to the domestic cocoa industry given the sector’s long standing critical role in the Ghana economy. As a structured performance risk loan lenders continue not to require a sovereign guarantee, the statement added.