Government says GH₵29 billion is already parked in the sinking fund to settle domestic debt exchange bonds maturing in February 2027.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has told holders of bonds issued under the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) that they do not have to wait until their maturity date in February 2027 to be paid.
Speaking during the presentation of the 2027 Budget, Dr Forson said bondholders whose payments fall due on February 16, 2027 may come forward for their money ahead of schedule. He said the money is already available and that there will be no delay when the official date arrives.
GH₵29 billion set aside
According to the minister, government currently holds GH₵29 billion in the sinking fund — a reserve account set up specifically to retire maturing public debt — to cover the obligation. The figure and the early payment offer were reported by Ghanaian Times.
The DDEP was the domestic leg of Ghana's debt restructuring, under which holders of local-currency government bonds swapped their old securities for new ones with longer maturities and different coupon terms. Many of those new bonds carry staggered maturity dates, and February 16, 2027 is one of them.
Blame aimed at the previous government
Dr Forson used the moment to criticise the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, accusing it of deliberately structuring the DDEP repayment schedule so that the heaviest repayments would land on a future government rather than during its own term in office.
He said the current administration has accepted the obligation and has made adequate provision to honour it.
The NPP has not responded to that accusation in the source report, and NewsPulse GH has not independently verified how the repayment schedule was arrived at.
Why this matters
For individual Ghanaians, pension contributors, churches, cooperatives and institutional investors who took losses when the DDEP was carried out in 2023, the credibility of each repayment date matters. Every maturity that is met on time, or early, helps rebuild trust in government securities — which in turn affects how cheaply the state can borrow at home in future.
For Ghanaians in the United States and elsewhere who hold cedi-denominated instruments, or who follow the bond market for family investments back home, the announcement signals that the February 2027 tranche is funded rather than dependent on future revenue inflows.
What happens next
The practical details — where bondholders should present themselves, what documentation is required, and whether early redemption affects accrued interest — were not set out in the budget presentation as reported. Bondholders will likely need guidance from the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Ghana or the Central Securities Depository before acting.
The 2027 Budget itself still has to go through debate and approval in Parliament.
