See how pensioners gathered at finance ministry over debt exchange programme

A rather rare incident but it has come to that because of the introduction of government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.

A group of persons – over 60 years have gathered at the premises of the finance ministry Monday morning to register their displeasure about the suggested inclusion of pensioners in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

The group; Pensioner Bondholders Forum say their petition to the government on January 10, 2023, for the exemption of Pension Funds from the programme have not been heeded to.

According to them, they would be adversely affected if they are included in the programme considering majority of them may not have regular income streams anymore and may be relying on such monies for future endeavours.

Pending the deadline for the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme on Tuesday February 7, 2023, some 50 members of this group have served notice to the police about their intents to picket at the premises of the finance ministry every day from 10am till their grievances are attended to.

Many of these persons, are wielding with red arm and neck bands and holding placards with different inscriptions including; “Don’t you feel our pain?”, “Spare us this ordeal, we don’t want to be a burden on society”, “we want to live off our bonds”, and “pensioners have paid their dues to the nation”.

Here are some photos from the scene: