DDEP: The hospitals will be empty if government dare touches our pension funds – GMA

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has sent a huge warning to the government about including their pension funds in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Medical practitioners, like any other bondholders, want their bonds totally exempted from the fund.

The General Secretary of GMA, Dr. Titus Beyuo, speaking on Accra-based Starr FM on Monday, February 13, told the government to refrain from the thought of using their investments.

Mr. Beyuo explained that government has been paying them peanuts as salaries from which their investment comes, indicating that they are not ready for a double slap.

“If you touch people’s pensions they are not going to sit down. Already you are underpaying us and what we are saving towards pension the same threat that existed before for which reason the government backed down on pension funds is the same that prevails.

“We have told the government what will happen if they touch our pension funds and we will desert the hospitals. We will go on a total strike and that is what we have decided to do. We have given out a letter and everything that we will do is the same principle that will apply here,” Mr. Beyuo stated.

He continued: “It was the same thing the government sought to avoid that they will not touch pension funds. So if they are now going to touch some pension funds under the pretext that they are not regulated by the MPRA, when the government is aware that prior to the establishment of MPRA organizations like the GMA, the Universities and other organizations set up independent pension funds to help their members.”