An Associate Professor of Finance at Andrews University in the United States, Professor Williams Peprah, has stated that the demands being made by the pensioner bondholders that government could use treasury bills to pay their matured coupons are valid.

According to him, the coupon payments of these pensioners must be treated with a sense of urgency due to their age.

He added that government must find a way to pay the pensioners as soon as possible.

“The suggestion by the pensioners is valid. Government can decide to swap some of these coupons and principal payments, factor them into the Treasury bill demands, and find a way to make payments to them.

“If the government cannot pay the principal, the coupon payment can be factored into the cash flow demands from the treasury bills side and be paying them; at least that will slow down the pressure,” he was quoted by myjoyonline.com.

Prof. Peprah added that it is important that the government must give up certain things to satisfy the demands of pensioners adding “Life is at stake now and it’s getting very critical.

“If you listen to the pensioners, all that they’re requesting the government to do is to give them some cash so that they will be able to take care of their medical needs.

“We are all human beings, we have to be very much aware that once you get to this age and you cannot work, you only depend on a stable income, and the bond market is noted to give some kind of fixed income. So, the coupon payment is what they rely on,” he continued.

SSD/SARA