Accra: The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) will, in collaboration with key state institutions, form a joint monitoring and enforcement taskforce to combat the influx of smuggled and unregistered cooking oil on the Ghanaian market. The decision was reached at a stakeholder meeting held in Accra on Friday to discuss effective regulation procedures to clamp down on the illegal trade.
According to Ghana News Agency, institutions present at the meeting included the Police, Immigration, and Judicial services, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Standards Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, and Ghana Shippers Authority. Dr. Andy Osei Okrah, the Chief Executive Officer of the TCDA, stated that the taskforce would ensure strict enforcement of the TCDA Act, 2019 (Act 1010), and its Legislative Instrument (LI 2471). These require all actors in the oil palm value chain, including importers of cooking oil, to be registered and licensed by the Authority.
Dr. Okrah emphasized the importance of registration and licensing, stating, "It is mandatory that any actor who wants to operate in the oil palm industry must register with the Tree Crops Development Authority and obtain the necessary license and permit to import or trade." He noted that due to the organization's recent establishment, many were unaware of its mandate, prompting the engagement with stakeholders. The stakeholders have pledged to support the Authority in ensuring compliance for the country's economic benefit.
He further explained that the Authority could not achieve effective regulation alone and needed to work closely with relevant state agencies as prescribed by law. The joint taskforce will monitor, inspect, and verify the registration and licensing status of businesses dealing in cooking oil. "If there are recalcitrant ones who are not following the law, then the law will take its course," he noted.
Data presented by the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG) at the meeting revealed that about 90 percent of cooking oil on the local market was smuggled and uncertified. The Association warned that this trend threatened the survival of Ghana's oil palm industry, which employed more than 850,000 people, including 36,000 women, and contributed over GHS500 million in annual taxes.
Mr. Paul Amaning, the President of OPDAG, highlighted the issue of cooking oil smuggling through the country's land borders, which undermines local production. He stated, "We have almost 1.2 million people working in the industry, paying corporate and value-added taxes, yet traders import cheap oil through unapproved routes without paying any tax. That makes their products cheaper and unfairly competitive."
He urged the government and security agencies to enforce existing policies requiring importers of vegetable oil to use designated ports such as Takoradi, rather than land borders, to help curb illegal trade and protect local jobs. The TCDA, established under Act 1010 in 2019, is tasked with regulating and developing Ghana's tree crops subsector, including cashew, mango, coconut, rubber, shea, and oil palm, to help diversify the economy beyond cocoa and promote value addition across the value chain.
