The President of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG), Paul Kwabena Amaning, has called for bold and immediate reforms to rescue Ghana’s palm oil industry from weak regulation and rising smuggling.
He said the reforms should include the will to empower the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), the main regulatory body for the industry.
According to him, the TCDA must be strengthened through proper investment and logistical support so it can perform its core duties, especially the registration of all individuals and companies involved in the palm oil value chain.
“We need strong institutions that can monitor, enforce, and regulate. Without that, we cannot clean up the system,” he emphasized.
Speaking on Aluta FM’s Anopa Koko with Agyaba Kwaku, Mr. Amaning, pushed for an advanced Coding and Tracking Policy, a digital system that would register every entity in the sector – to detect the sale of unauthorized palm oil in the market.
He said OPDAG fully supported the TCDA’s plan to establish the taskforce to address the growing menace through coordinated enforcement, market surveillance, and border monitoring.
According to him, there is a surge in the sale of smuggled palm oil and refined oil products on the market leading to unusual low prices which is affecting local businesses.
“The smuggling of substandard and untaxed vegetable oils, including palm oil, is a major issue in the Ghanaian market, threatening local jobs and national revenue. Industry associations report that up to 90% of the cooking oil on the market may be illegally imported and uncertified,” he revealed.
He also endorsed several proposed enforcement measures, including the implementation of a traceability system to monitor products from refinery to retail, mandatory registration of transporters and traders to improve accountability, and enhanced collaboration among the Ghana Revenue Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, and National Security for a unified crackdown on smuggling networks.
By Awini Britney
