The Christian Council of Ghana has called for a suspension of the domestic debt exchange programme expected to stabilise the country’s debt.
The Council in a statement dated January 19, signed by the Chairman and Secretary, said it has identified a lapse in the programme which is the lack of consultation with the affected institutions and individuals.
It has, therefore, urged the government to engage in broader consultations with the stakeholders before any progress with the programme.
“After various discussions with some stakeholders on Ghana’s economy, we are convinced that the whole process needs to be suspended until broader consultations have been made.”
The Council also wants the January 31 deadline suspended for government to rather propose a roadmap for dialogue.
This they say will enable a participatory process such that the outcome would be a consensus from both sides.
The statement added that a thorough engagement with stakeholders would help government to appreciate the concerns of the affected individuals and institutions to allow for measures to be outlined to address the challenges.
The Council further urged the media to be diligent with reportage on the programme and seek opinions of professionals to avoid any panic in the country.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has set up a technical committee to further engage individual bondholders on their inclusion in the debt exchange programme.
