Celebrated investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has described Government’s attempt to force domestic bondholders to comply with its debt exchange programme as a declaration of war.
Commenting on the domestic exchange programme on social media, Mr Azure Awuni slammed the Government for borrowing excessively and paying no heed to caution and insulting critics. He contends that the attempt to use people’s saving to restructure debt amounts to a declaration of war on the people of Ghana.
“They[ Government] borrowed in our name and dissipated it. When we complained they insulted us. Now they can’t pay, and they want to forcefully confiscate our little individual savings to pay for what they borrowed and stole and stashed in foreign accounts. This is like a declaration of war,” he lamented.
Government, led by embattled Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, is embarking on a debt restructuring Programme( debt exchange) in order to meet key requirements for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it battles Ghana unprecedented economic crisis.
Some bondholders have questioned the decision by government as they claim they have not been consulted on the move.
Some have petition the Finance Minister to exclude them from the pending Debt Restructuring as they believe it will have dire consequences on their lives.
source: mynewsgh.com