Members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum (PBF) on Monday, February 13, returned to the Finance Ministry to demand a total exemption of their investments from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
This is the 6th-day that the aged, some able to walk only with walking sticks or crutches, are picketing at the ministry.
They have been trooping to the Finance Ministry under the scorchy sun daily to have the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, intervene in their predicament but to no avail.
This time, a retired Medical Doctor, Dr Samuel Quaye, regrets ever committing some of his salaries to purchase government bonds.
A year ago, he thought holding bonds was prudent to invest his money.
The retiree, who has failing health, was optimistic that when his principal matured, he would have enough funds to cater for his medical needs.
But, his hope was short-lived when the government announced its decision to undertake a Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
Looking back, Dr Quaye feels that was one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
“I made a big mistake buying bonds. I am regretting it. I know I had no alternative then because, for such an amount, I couldn’t keep it in my house. That is why I invested in it.
“We are in a world where you cannot save your money at home. But now, I think I should have invested my money outside the country,” he said on Joy FM.
Dr Quaye is one of the numerous individual pension bondholders who will be affected by the government’s ongoing debt exchange programme.
Members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum started picketing at the Ministry on Monday, February 6, to demand a total exemption of their investments from the programme.
The pensioners who have bought government bonds plan to embark on this exercise until they are exempted from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
They lamented that the government had turned a deaf ear to the request for an exemption.
They believe the inclusion of their bonds will negatively impact their livelihoods.
