Cocoa plant shutdown has nothing to do with shortage of cocoa beans -CPC

The Management of the Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) has rejected reports that their processing plants in Tema have been shut down because of a lack of cocoa beans.

Public Relations Officer Ekow Rhule told Oman News the shutdown of two of three plants is to allow for routine maintenance works.

He said the Chocolate Factory is working but the factory for semi-finished products have been shut down.

The premises looked abandoned with some administrative staff and security men seen going about their work.

There is an uneasy calm on the premises, he said.

At least 80 workers of the company have been asked to take their annual leave to allow engineers carry out maintenance that ought to have been done in December 2015.

But the regular repair works could not come off in December because the company had landed a contract and needed to work through the month.

According to Mr. Rhule, the contract has ended hence the need to start maintenance works.

Ekow Rhule said he is not sure when the maintenance works will be completed.

He discounted assertions by the worker’s union chairman Kingsley Owusu that there is not a single cocoa bean in the plant.

He explained management decided to empty the warehouse of beans because of the maintenance.

Kingsley Owusu who is the workers union chairman had earlier blamed the situation on an acute shortage of cocoa beans.

'I am not happy at al...They will finish their leave and come back to the same situation', he said.

Story by: Michael Creg Afful

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