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Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has denied reports that the government is planning a second round of Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) with pension funds.

Speaking to the media after an IMF/World Bank Spring Meeting in Washington DC in the United States, Ofori-Atta said, “No, there’s nothing like that.

“I think maybe it was a misunderstanding but if you look at it, in line with the 22 December 2022 memorandum of understanding (MoU) that we signed with Organised Labour, government pension funds were exempted and that has not changed".

“It’s, therefore, not correct to state that we are planning a second round of Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) with pension funds,” he added.

According to him, “What we are doing is working with" organised labour "on how they can further help the government to reduce the debt servicing and ensure that we maintain in a sort of debt sustainability which was in the MoU.”

“So those discussions are continuing… but really debunk any sense that there is a second round of Domestic Debt Exchange Programme going to happen,” he further indicated.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, has given assurance that the fund’s Executive Board would grant final approval to Ghana’s bailout request.

“I am optimistic that we are going to move swiftly,” the IMF boss has stated.