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Why this unnecessary burden on pensioners and individual bond holders in the country?
Treasury Bonds are medium term debt instruments (Securities) issued by the Government of Ghana and sold to individuals or companies to raise funds for a specific time at a fixed or variable interest rate. The bonds have maturity periods exceeding two years.
Over here in Ghana, there is no upper limit but a maximum limit of GHc500.00 is required for the purchase of a bond. It generally includes a commitment to pay periodic interest called coupon payment and to repay the face value on the maturity date.
BENEFITS FROM BONDS
Unlike savings, bonds, especially those from government and major companies tend to be a safe investment. They can offer much higher return than savings account. The nature of this facility, has encouraged the majority of companies and individuals to rope onto the scheme with the intentsion of recouping sizeable interests to support them in various ways and endeavours. Even most employers in the country have taken advantage of the immense benefits to register their workers on the scheme.
In recent times, the government in its determination to revive the country’s ailing economy, has adopted a number of measures including a suspension on payment of external debt.
It,therefore, announced a Domestic Debt Exchange Programme which requires institutional holders of eligible bonds to agree to writing to the Central Securities Depository (CSD) to exchange their current holdings to new ones.
DOMESTIC DEBT EXCHANGE AND PENSION FUND
Initially, the government announced that Pension funds would be included in the debt exchange programme but Organised Labour, stood firmly against the decision which many believed was part of the conditions spelt out in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) laid out processes for the economic bailout. Organised Labour including the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) and the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), had all rejected the government’s attempt to include the pension funds in the debt exchange program.
According to organised Labour, it was against the law for the government to touch the pension funds. While CLOGSAG and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) served notice that members would embark on industrial action, should the government fail to heed their call, the ICU also stated that it would be compelled to join other labour unions to demonstrate against such measures by the government.
After series of meetings between the government and Organised Labour on that thorny issue, the general consensus was to exempt the pension funds from the debt restructuring programme.
Hear the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, on the outcome of the meeting on Thursday, December 22, 2022. “Government and the organised labour will work together to resolve all issues to make the program successful towards the restoration of macroeconomic stability of the country.”
INDIVIDUAL BONDHOLDERS
It is surprising to know that after the attempts to include the pension funds on the debt restructuring programme had failed, the government has now turned its attention on individual domestic bondholders, as part of measures to salvage the ailing economy.
In the latter part of December last year, the government invited individual bond holders to exchange their old bond holdings for new ones with extended maturity in a domestic debt exchange programme. The invitation to this exchange programme, expired on January 16, 2023, at 4 pm, but the deadline has been extended to 31st January, 2023, at 4 pm.
According to the government, this exchange programme, would allow the country to restore sound public finance and sustainable debt levels and to kick-start economic growth, following the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. It noted that the alternative to the debt exchange would be far worse economic crisis with protracted closure from international markets, including imported goods and services, and further domestic both for the real economy and the financial sector. It would also mean depleted fiscal resources to support the neediest.
INITIAL EXEMPTION OF INDIVIDUAL BONDHOLDERS
It is recalled that individual bondholders were initially exempted from the Domestic Debt Exchange Prrogramme that the government launched on Monday, December 5, 2022.
However, the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, in announcing the exemption of pension funds from the Debt Exchange Programme in response to recommendations by major stakeholders on December 22, 2022, said it would come at a cost.
It is important to state that the government has reached staff level agreement with its negotiation with the IMF for a three-billion-dollar bailout. Therefore, the amendment in debt Exchange programme is necessary to reach a Management and Board levels agreement with the IMF.
THREATS OF LEGAL SUIT AGAINST GOVERNMENT
This latest development has sparked off threats of legal suit in court by individual bond holders against the government. According to the Vice President of IMANI, Ghana, an Economic Think Tank, Bright Simons, three groups representing individual bond holders, have commenced mobilisation to file legal suit against the government for including individual bond holders in the Debt Exchange Programme. He explained in a tweet that individual/retail investors to Ghana’s debt default would increase the risk of litigation.
While some of these individual bond holders have threatened to commit suicide if the government fails to heed their call to rescind its decision of including their bonds on the debt exchange programme, since the benefits from that investments are the source of their livelihood and, therefore, taking them away from them mean, killing them softly, others have complained that profits from the bonds, are what they depend on to cater for their families, including their children’s school fees.
According to them, times are hard and the cost of living is unbearable, hence the profits from their investment are what they use to cushion themselves.
A number of prominent personalities including the Majority Leader in Parliament have cautioned against this latest move to involve individual bond holders in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, saying it is dangerous for the country’s development.
According to Mr Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, the progamme could wipe out the middle class and negatively affect the savings culture of Ghanaians. He has suggested that the Finance Minister should properly engage with the major stakeholders.
The Minority caucus in Parliament has also called for total suspension of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme and suggested a national economic crisis dialogue by stakeholders to discuss the whole issue, including the individual bondholders matter.
ECONOMY IN SHAMBLES
It is a fact that the economy is in a state of comma and our doctors will simply put it that it is receiving serious medical attention at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a medical facility with all the life supporting gadgets including oxygen and drips fixed on it. The moment, you dismantle these supporting gadgets, means death.
It is so sad that, managers of our economy have supervised the economy to that extent of deterioration, despite other natural factors like COVID-19 and Russian-Ukraine war, which they have always relied upon to defend themselves anytime they are criticised.
What is amazing, is for the fact that our finest economists and financial analysts, keep giving pieces of advice to government that will help revamp the ailing economy, but because of political expediencies, these practical and reasonable advice and suggestions are constantly ignored and left in the burner, hence the situation we find ourselves at the moment.
What we have to do as a nation which is interested in building a sound and progressive economy to rub shoulders with other advanced nations in the world, is for us to unite and push party affiliations to the background and collectively pool ideas to build this country after all, this is the only country we have and nowhere else to go.
SUFFERING GHANAIANS NEED TO BE SPARED
The people are, indeed, suffering in the midst of economic difficulties and other challenges. The cost of living is unbearable, prices of goods and services continue to escalate daily, inflation is terribly high, the cedi which appreciated against the United States of America (USA) dollar during the Christmas period is beginning to depreciate, fuel prices, although reduced a little is not the best, insurance premiums and other road worthy taxes are astronomically high.
In the midst of all these economic challenges, the government cannot continue to burden the citizens with policies that are inimical to their progress. That cannot be tolerated whatsoever in any civilised country such as Ghana.
The government should find alternatives to address the present economic challenges and stop these unnecessary ad hoc and indirect measures to mitigate the numerous economic problems.
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By Charles Neequaye
THE typical itinerant salesman in Sikaman is a herbalist. He is normally a slim macho with the capacity to perambulate the expanse of area covering the triangle of Accra-Tema-Ashiaman. In short, he can walk a total of 60 miles a day, marketing a product that cures every disease, including poverty. 
The door-to-door herbal pharmacist advertises his product by word of mouth. He has nothing to do with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB). After all, his concoctions do not feature on FM stations.
Those herbalists who cannot walk to propagate the herbal gospel, liaise with drivers of mass transportation and their mates. They are, therefore, given the chance to sell their products on Benz buses that ply the routes.
Normally, the herbalist starts his sales message with a prayer and Bible study. He asks the passengers to bow down their heads in supplication to God the father, the son, the Holy Spirit.
When a herbalist asks the passengers to close their eyes and bow their heads, Moslems on board naturally feel offended. They feel that the herbalist has no right to assume that every passenger is a Christian. They think such an assumption is an affront to Islam.
So a Moslem on board will raise the hand for a point of order. He’ll remind the herbalist that it would be in his own interest to mind his language.
“Be careful the way you address people in a public place. Not every person here is a Christian,” he’d state assertively.
Of course, the herbalist will promptly ignore him, but would all the same “watch” his tongue. Who knows whether or not the Moslem brother is inspired by Quoranic zeal to defend the tenets of Islam to the hilt?
When he starts saying, “Wallahi!” and “Inshallah!” it could be the beginning of proclaiming Islam as supreme, a point which must be driven home with talibanic precision.
So the herbalist must tread carefully lest he steps on fire.
The herbalist could even add a measure of mirth to it all, by announcing that Christians on board today have very interesting company on the journey, but that should not detract from the business of the day.
The Moslem brother will weigh the words carefully and offer a wry smile.
He must be careful the occasion does not degenerate into the use of semantics and proverbial oration to deride his conviction that public utterances must be mindful of religious sensibilities. He has made his point very clear and expects that it is taken in good faith in the interest of a peaceful journey.
The herbalist will now open the New Testament and preach salvation, stating clearly that salvation can come only through Jesus Christ and NOBODY else.
The Moslem brother will now start twitching his moustache. The visible and almost revolutionary reflexes of his upper lip can be an indication that sentiments have begun superseding reason, and the outcome could well be tragic now shift uneasily in his seat.
The time has come for him to also express his right to the religion of his fore-bears. He’ll put his hand into his pocket and rise to his feet. The time has indeed come!
This article was first published on Saturday, September 9, 2006
When the cause of a particular problem like sickness, disease, sudden illness, a social issue etc. are not known, it stands to reason that resolving it becomes a huge challenge.
Citizens would understand the government when public announcements are made to the effect that government is trying to find a solution to the issue, even though it is taking a while for it to be resolved because citizens are rational beings.
On the other hand, if the solution to a particular issue is known to everybody but the government for whatever reason, is dragging its feet in resolving it, citizens become frustrated and begin to lose trust in their leaders.
One such issue is the heavy traffic along a section of the Kasoa – Odokor road. A short stretch of bad road between the traffic light at the Weija Government Hospital and the entrance to the entrance of the overhead that leads to the N1, is the cause of the problem but nothing is being done about it, day after day, week after week, month after month. Thus is clearly unacceptable.
Another issue that requires urgent attention is the lack of pavements along a lot of streets in parts of the various Municipal Assemblies. Exercise is a prerequisite for long life and healthy living and for those of us who it has become a way of life, this issue of people putting up structures right to the edge of the drains beside the roads, are making life difficult for us.
We are compelled to walk along the roads, putting our lives at serious risk. Pedestrians should never be compelled to compete with vehicles on our streets and roads. Roads and streets are made for vehicles and pavements are made for pedestrians. That is the norm. Any attempt to normalise a situation where pedestrians are mingling with vehicles is insanity.
It is the road regulations that makes it so and therefore district or municipal assemblies are to take responsibility and ensure that spaces for pavements are not encroached upon. Citizens have rights that must be protected by their leaders and making pavements available to pedestrians, is one of them.
When we hear of teachers having sex with students, it appears it is something recent. It is not a new phenomenon. It has been there since Adam. Perhaps this issue is getting much attention due to the proliferation of social media. It was an open secret in times past when Teachers were in relationships with female students and some married them immediately after completion of school.
Some teachers were also known to be having unholy interactions with female pupils but due to the times that these acts occurred, human rights issues and the awareness around it, allowed such unscrupulous teachers to get away with their crimes.
Now we are in a different era and so a Headmaster is now in hot waters. He is alleged to have raped about 19 female students and as usual, some officials tried to cover it up and are also in hot waters and their actions or inactions in the matter are under investigation.
Why the man has been allowed to roam freely without being arrested is simply mind boggling. It appears that the law applies differently, depending on who you are. This issue came to public attention sometime in August this year, yet the police had not arrested or invited this man for question regarding the rape allegation.
It has come out that he is a Constituency Secretary of the ruling party and the question in the public domain is that, is it because he is a political figure that is why he is still walking around without questioning? I believe in the rule of law so let us hold our breadth and let the proper thing be done.
The police must however be seen to be active in this matter. God bless.
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