NAPO apologises to bondholders for negative impact of DDEP

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) vice-presidential candidate, has publicly apologised to bondholders, who faced negative impacts from the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Speaking during an interview on Accra-based Peace FM on Wednesday, he acknowledged the significant sacrifices bondholders made to help stabilise Ghana’s economy during a challenging period.

In his remarks, Dr Opoku Prempeh expressed sincere gratitude to the bondholders for their contributions, highlighting their essential role in the country’s economic recovery efforts.

He underscored that their willingness to participate in the DDEP was instrumental in enabling the government to effectively restructure the nation’s debt, particularly in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and foreign bondholders.

The vice-presidential candidate pointed out that the DDEP was a necessary step to address Ghana’s mounting economic challenges.

By accepting the terms of the programme, bondholders played a vital part in facilitating the country’s return to financial stability, which benefits not just the government but all Ghanaians.

He emphasised the importance of dialogue and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that their concerns were addressed moving forward.

“What we have to know is that if we hadn’t met the DDEP bondholders, our economy that has now picked up wouldn’t have been possible,” he stressed.

He said “If they hadn’t agreed for us to exchange their 95 per cent bonds, we couldn’t have gone through the restructuring process with the IMF, and the foreign bondholders would have not followed for us to achieve this result.”