Vice President Kwesi Amissah Arthur has stated that Ghana is currently working to eliminate all forms of child labour on the cocoa farms. He said the government has introduced the Child Education Support Programme to ensure that schools in cocoa growing communities are rehabilitated and new ones built in communities where there are no schools.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur was speaking at a Cocoa Dinner organised by the Federation of Cocoa Commerce held at Grosvenor House, London, United Kingdom.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the provision of educational infrastructure is to give opportunity to children living in deprived cocoa communities to have access to quality education.
He gave the assurance that the government is committed to improve road network in the cocoa growing communities combined with other infrastructural development in cocoa growing areas, which would help improve the quality of life which in turn would be an incentive for the youth to stay in the communities and engage in cocoa farming.
He said the government recognises it responsibilities to manage the cocoa sector by enhancing the farming productivity thereby protecting farms and livelihoods.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur also stated that government is committed to ensure that children in the country are protected from exploitation and to facilitate the adoption of sound environmental practices that protect the nation’s forest reserves and water bodies.
