A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team, Awal Mohammed, has criticised the government's decision to fast-track the proposed Cocoa Protection Bill, insisting that broader stakeholder consultations should have been conducted before the legislation was laid before Parliament.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show, Mr Mohammed questioned why the bill was introduced under a certificate of urgency, arguing that cocoa farmers and other industry players were not given the opportunity to contribute to its development.

"The issue is that government should have conducted broader stakeholder consultation. Why the haste?" he asked on Wednesday, August 5.

Mr Mohammed said while he supports efforts to protect Ghana's cocoa industry, some provisions in the proposed law are too harsh and require review.

According to him, the bill prescribes prison terms of between 10 and 20 years for persons who unlawfully convert cocoa farms to other uses. It also proposes the establishment of a tribunal to fast-track the prosecution of offences under the law and provides sanctions for the unlawful felling of cocoa trees.

He argued that while it is necessary to protect cocoa farms from illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, the law should distinguish between farmers who illegally convert cocoa farms into mining sites and those who switch to other agricultural crops such as rubber or citrus.

"It is untenable for anyone to convert a cocoa farm into a galamsey site. If you tell me that anyone who converts a cocoa farm into a mining area without proper authorisation should be punished, we will all embrace that," he said.

"However, if you are saying that a farmer who changes a cocoa farm into a rubber or citrus plantation can be jailed for up to 20 years, then that is draconian."

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Mr Mohammed also criticised the government's handling of the cocoa sector, recalling campaign promises to improve cocoa producer prices after accusing the previous Akufo-Addo administration of shortchanging farmers.

He noted that despite those promises, many cocoa farmers are still struggling and some have reportedly not received payments due them.

He maintained that while the cocoa industry remains one of the pillars of Ghana's economy and deserves protection, the proposed legislation should be revised through extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure it is fair, practical and widely accepted.