Pensioner bondholders in the country have called on the government to prioritize servicing their coupons and not worry about the tradability of their bonds.
The Convener of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum, Dr Anane Antwi, stated that the government had emphasized that the program was voluntary, but pensioners were free to opt out. However, Dr Antwi believes that the best way to ensure the inflow of coupons for pensioners is to grant an exemption.
A pharmacist, Dr Charles Fordjour, also joined the picketing at the Finance Ministry and called on younger groups and Civil Society Organizations to join the call for the exemption of the aged from the Domestic Debt Exchange Program. He argued that it is inappropriate to tamper with the livelihood of senior citizens who rely on bonds to access healthcare and feed themselves.
Dr Fordjour emphasized the need to respect and honour the aged for their immense role in nation-building and warned of the consequences of taking away their livelihood. “Can you imagine if one of them should lose their life because they could not afford their medication or even one of them could not feed because they could not have money to buy food? The consequences on us, the spiritual curses. I think we should all rise and say no, not their money,” he said.
The deadline for signing up for the Domestic Debt Exchange Program elapsed last Friday, and the government has not made any announcement regarding the program. The bondholders have stated that they did not buy the bonds to trade and that finding value for their old bonds in the future is the sole responsibility of individual holders.
