The Pensioner Bondholders Forum has threatened to resume its picketing at the premises of the Ministry of Finance if the government fails to pay all outstanding coupons and principals of bond investments by April 28, 2023.

The forum in a statement signed by its Convener, Dr. Adu Anane Antwi expressed disappointment over the government’s inconsistency regarding assurances to pay all pensioners their outstanding coupons and principals of bond investments.

The Convener of the Forum expressed the pain and financial hardships members have had to go through as a result of the delay and requested that the payments be made as demanded in the Forum’s letter of March 30, 2023, to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

“We wish to state that we have granted the Ministry a one-week extension to the 21st of April 2023 deadline in our letter of 30th March 2023 for the payment of all outstanding coupons and principles, bringing the deadline now to 28th April 2023.”

“We wish to state finally that if the payments of all outstanding coupons and principals are not made by April 28, 2023, we shall be left with no other option than to resume our picketing at the premises of the Ministry to further press home our demand for the payment of all coupons and principals in arrears, and an end to payment delays.”

The Pensioners also commented on a press release from the Ministry of Finance dated April 14, 2023, that suggested that the leadership of Coalition of Individual Bondholders groups and the Pensioners Bondholders Forum agreed that the Joint Technical Committee constituted on January 18, 2023, reconvenes and agrees on a pathway, towards the settlement of the outstanding debt obligations by April 28, 2023.

The Pensioners said no such agreement was reached.