Senyo Hosi, a convener of the Individual Bondholders Forum (IBF) has lamented the manner in which government is undergoing the current Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) programme.
His concern stems from the decision to rope individual bondholders into the programme even though government had from the start (late last year) stated that they were not going to be affected.
The U-turn on that earlier position was occasioned by the fightback of pension funds to plans to put them at the center of government debt restructuring amid an economic downturn as government races against time to secure Board Approval for a US$3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.
Speaking on Citi FM’s EyeWitness News programme on January 11, 2022; Hosi lamented how the government has singlehandedly plunged the economy into a crisis yet was refusing to take responsibility for same.
He averred that by refusing to take responsibility for the economic mess but rather going after individual investments in government bonds, the government was worsening the plight of citizens who trusted them by investing in these bonds and government papers.
“We actually entertained less from John Mahama and we expected more from the current government Nana Addo. Nana Addo, you can’t do what you are doing.
“You can’t forget that they are lives you are dealing with and be oppressive in your approach. You can’t work like that, there must be proper consultations,” he stressed before rallying all individual bondholders to reject the current deal government was presenting under the DDE.
“Politicians continue to mess us up, abuse our economic rights and always make us pay for it. They run down everything and impose levies… this time we are saying it is over, we can’t be at the wrong side of the bargain forever.
“We are not your whipping cards…sit down and let’s talk, if not we aren’t doing it,” he warned.