News from Ghana

All Pensioners Who Did NOT Participate In Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) Exempted.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has confirmed that all Pensioners who failed to tender their old bonds for new ones under the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) have been exempted from the programme.

Addressing Parliament on the State of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, Mr Ofori-Atta said the Pensioners have nothing to worry about adding that all their coupons and principals will be honoured when maturity is due.

The Finance Minister added that he has officially written to the Pensioner bondholders who did not sign onto the Programme of their exemption from the exercise.

“Mr Speaker, Government remains committed to the well-being and dignity of our Senior Citizens and Pensioners. Indeed, it has personally caused me great distress as a number of them have picketed (as form of strike) at the premises of the Ministry of Finance since Monday, 6th February 2023 yesterday. Thursday16th.

"As I have already indicated in my Press Release dated 14th February 2023, Government will honour their coupon payments and maturing principals, like all Government bonds, in line with Government’s Fiscal commitments".

“Mr Speaker, in seeking to understand the concerns of our Senior Citizens, I have met with them on three occasions. The most recent was yesterday 15th February 2022, where I explained the terms of the new bonds.

“Mr Speaker, I subsequently wrote to their Convener, letting him know that all pensioners who did not participate in the exchange are exempted and therefore there will be no need for our Senior Citizens to picket at the Finance Ministry. Mr Speaker, I would like to thank all those who helped in those discussions.”

The Ghanaian Pensioners (both Public and Private Pensioners) have been picketing over the last weeks demanding a total exemption from the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.

The aggrieved Pensioners group who

has also stated that it will continue to picket at the Finance Ministry until the government heeds their demand by officially communicating to them that their investments have been exempted from the DDEP strongly went to the Parliament house yesterday in presence to witness the Finance Minister's Statement.

The Finance Minister in a statement to confirm the official closing of the Exchange Programme on Monday, February 13, revealed that it has successfully swapped GH₵‎82,994,510,128 worth of old bonds from a possible GH₵‎ 97,749,624,691 under the domestic debt exchange programme.

According to the government, the amount represents an 84.91% success rate exceeding its intended target of an 80 percent participation rate.

But some financial analysts have raised questions about the government’s participation rate.

Economist and Political Risk Analyst, Dr Theo Acheampong in a post raised doubts about the figures presented and further wondered if the government was being transparent with its accounting to Ghanaians.

The Vice President, in charge of research at IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Bright Simons also suggested that claims by the government that it has achieved an 85 percent participation rate may not be entirely accurate.

In a lengthy article, Bright Simons stated that at best using the initial GH¢137 billion of bonds that were tradeable, the government has only achieved a 60 or 61 percent participation.

Pensoners who took almost one-and-half-week long Picketing action included the female immediate formal Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of Pensoners & Retirees Union Ghana of  Migrant Labour General Workers' Union International (PRUG-MLGWUI), Justice Baako NTARMAH on behalf of the Union, applauds the Organisers and Leaders of the Pensoners for picketing action, fight and demonstrated their rights against Ghana government that brought  victorious and fruitful result. The Union encourages rest of Pensoners and Retirees who have already participated in Domestic Debt Exchange Programme to withdraw their decision and embark same fighting action because the government decision on Domestic Debt Exchange Programme will not favour the Pensoners and Retirees for their  dignified life in Ghana.

 _Report from Justice Baako NTARMAH, the Correspondent of the Migrant Labour Salary Worker Bulletin_

Comrade Justice is also the General Secretary & Head of Education International Relations of MLGWUI-FFMRC

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