Private legal practitioner Mr Kwame Jantuah has wondered why Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has not spoken publicly on the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
In his view, the silence of the Vice President who is head of the Economic Management Team is a clear indication that not all the people in government are in favour of the programme.
“Have you heard the Vice President talk about this?” Mr Jantuah who is a member of the Convention Peoples Party (NPP) asked on the Big Issue on TV3 Friday, February 10.
He added “Why isn’t the Vice President talking? It tells you that in the NPP there are people who are not in favour of this?”
Earlier, Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong expressed concern against the programme.
He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was going to be defeated heavily in the 2024 general elections because of the inclusion of individual bondholders.
Speaking on the Good Evening Ghana programme on Tuesday, January 31, the NPP flagbearer hopeful for the 2024 elections said “I just read this evening that now they are not going to touch individual bondholders, we thank God, if not we were going to lose miserably. It is good the Finance Minister has made a U-Turn.
“What is going on in the world doesn’t favour the NPP. The unfortunate thing for the NDC is that they have been in power before and they were not good managers. That is why you need a leader like Kennedy Agyapong.”
The government of Ghana is seeking to implement the DDEP as part of measures to tackle the fiscal challenges facing the country.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has urged as many as possible to participate in the DDE.
He stated that if the government does not get as many as possible to take part in the programme, economic recovery will take a long time to achieve.
“Frankly, non-participation or a lower-than-expected turnout for the DDEP will prolong efforts to resolve the current economic crisis.
“In addition, the prospects of international financial support and other financial assurances would be jeopardized,” he said in a statement on Monday, February 6.
He added “This development could further put strain and stress on the Government’s capacity to honour key commitments. This is not what we want for our economy.
“What we want is an economy that is back on track, stable, vibrant, productive, dynamic; meeting the needs of individuals, households, and enterprises; delivering shared and inclusive growth; and improving incomes and livelihoods.”