Members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum are set to resume their picketing at the Finance Ministry today, Thursday, June 22, 2023, over the government’s failure to pay four outstanding principals and coupons owed to them.
Despite granting a two-week moratorium earlier this month, the group has not received any payment as promised.
The Pensioner Bondholders Forum had reached an agreement with the Ministry of Finance, providing a two-week grace period for the settlement of the debts.
Speaking to Accra-based Class FM, the convener of the pension bondholders group, Dr Adu Anane Antwi said their coupons are scheduled for payment every Monday. As a result, he said they anticipate that each due coupon will be paid no later than Wednesday of the same week.
“We have already informed the government that whenever a coupon is due—coupons are always due on Monday—on that Monday, they would not say anything; on Tuesday, they would not say anything; but if, by the end of Wednesday, we have not received anything, then we understand that the government will not make the payment. Therefore, on Thursday and Friday, we will be present at the Ministry of Finance.”
Dr Anane Antwi told the host, Valentina Ofori-Afriyie that “as long as the government continues to delay the payment,” the pensioners would stage a protest at the ministry.
“Payment should be received by Wednesday at the latest, and if it is not received by Wednesday, then we should protest,” he stressed.
“If there are no outstanding coupons, there will be no protest.”
In addition to their picketing, the group has also expressed its intention to petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) regarding the government’s handling of their demands.
The pensioner bondholders have been actively advocating for the payment of their outstanding principals and coupons, highlighting the financial strain they have endured due to the unpaid debts. Their continued picketing serves as a means to draw attention to their plight and to emphasize the urgency of the matter.
