The Pensioner Bondholders Forum will today, Monday, February 6, begin a series of picketing activities at the premises of the Finance Ministry until its members are exempted from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

According to the group, until they have total exemption from the DDEP, they will continue to picket at the Finance Ministry every working day from 10am-11am. 

They said this action has become necessary as attempts to have their investment exempted from the programme have not been fruitful. 

The Forum in a press release said they have notified the police over the move. 

“On 10 January 2023, we submitted a petition to the Minister of Finance to exempt all pensioners holding Government Bonds from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme on the same basis used for the exemption of Pension Funds from the programme, as the impact of the programme on pensioners who are bondholders will be very severe.

“We have as of today not been granted the exemption we requested. To further press home our request, we have notified the police that about 50 of our members intend to converge at the premises of the Ministry of Finance on every working day from 10 am-11 am, beginning from Monday 6th February 2023 till our request is granted by the Minister.”

Government has for the fifth time extended the deadline for the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme to Tuesday, February 7.

Already, groups such as the Individual bondholders, TUC have already kicked against their inclusion in the programme.

Organized labour on Wednesday, February 1, also reiterated its resistance against the government’s domestic debt exchange programme and assured that any attempts to repackage the programme to include pension funds will be fiercely rejected.