Ignatius Baffour Awuah, minister-designate for the Employment and Labour Relations Ministry, has expressed worry over the issue of child labour in especially cocoa producing areas, stating that the continuous use of children in such labour could impact the patronage of cocoa on the international market.

He explained that while there continues to be a debate on what the actual definition of child labour is in the local setting of the country, it still gives great concern for worry should the practice of using children in the production of products like cocoa are not curtailed or checked.

Admitting that not every form of child contribution in the production of cash crops like cocoa can be termed child labour, the definition that the country works with places any such child involvement in the understanding of child labour.

By this, he believes that it poses a threat to the interest of international businesses in the procurement of cocoa from our country, knowing that children are involved in the production of this cash crop.

“I am aware of a study commissioned by the US Dept of Labour on the child labour situation in Ghana and CI. The results of that survey is that in most of our cocoa growing areas, children are engaged in cocoa production. We may have consumers begin to reject cocoa which are produced with labour of children.

“As a result, together with partners, we have received a plan of action to combat child labour and we have brought together actors in child labour, coordinate their activities and monitor their efforts. We have a huge task on our hands and we must encourage people to stop child labour since not everyone who engages in it gets the chance to rise out of them,” he explained.

Ignatius Baffour-Awuah is being vetted by Parliament's Appointments Committee after his re-appointment to the office by the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.