Author: Beyonce Diamond Kpogli
Pensioners Bondholders Forum pushing for the exemption of pensioners from the government’s debt exchange program has announced that its members will on Monday, January 23rd, 2023 converge at the ministry of finance to press home their demands.
According to the group, the inclusion of pensioners’ bonds in the programme will further put their livelihoods in difficulty.
Dr. Antwi said the executive of the Forum had requested to meet Mr. Ofori-Atta for discussion before the deadline of the Debt Exchange Programme.
Stating that the Forum had petitioned the government to exempt its members from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
Adding that the Forum had also written to the District Commander of the Ghana Police Service at the Ministries in Accra to notify the police of their intended action.
Dr. Antwi said the Forum on January 13, 2023, presented a petition to Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, the Finance Minister, for the exclusion of pensioners and requested a meeting with him.
“We are trying to see if the minister will get to meet us, we believe we will get the right and positive response but if we do not get that, we have written to the police to inform them that we will embark on a convergence at the ministry of finance and try to get the minister to speak with us”.
Dr. Adu Anane Antwi emphasised that they will only call off their action when the government invites them for negotiations.
Meanwhile, the government extended the deadline for bondholders to sign onto the domestic debt exchange program to January 31 following its expiration today.
Reacting to this, Dr. Adu Antwi said, “maybe the government has noticed the need to do more negotiations and consultation but we will not tender our bonds onto the domestic debt exchange”.
