The Health Services Workers Union (HSWU) has warned government they will resist any attempt to touch their pensions as part of the debt restructuring programme by the government.
The General Secretary of the Union, Franklin Owusu Ansah, sent the message of caution during a press conference on Sunday.
“We shall resist any attempt by the government to give any kind of haircut whatsoever on pension because our future is at risk. Workers of Ghana cannot continue to suffer to the grave, enough is enough,” he warned.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, while presenting the 2023 budget statement, announced a debt restructuring for domestic bondholders in terms of interest payments.
The Minister explained the sustainability of Ghana’s debt has been continuously affected by the negative impact of exchange rate depreciation, particularly on external debt, as well as the crystallization of significant contingent liabilities in recent years.
On the back of this, about 94 percent of Tier 2 contributions placed in government security are likely to be affected.
But to Mr Ansah, government made workers understand there will be no haircuts and therefore they do not expect that they will be affected in any way.
“Workers were made to believe that there will be no haircuts. The President of Ghana reassured and reaffirmed this to workers.
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“The attempt to touch the pensions in the quest to restructure debts means the government is tampering with the present and the future of workers. Pensions and Investments are being put at risk by the actions of the government,” he stated.