Members of the Aflao Shipper Committee have commended the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) for enlightening them on the Marine Cargo Insurance Protocol.
Speaking to the media after a sensitisation programme held for the Committee in Aflao on Thursday 10th March 2022, some of the members said they were not fully aware of the benefits in securing local insurance for their goods and therefore did not put much premium on it.
“It’s a requirement we fulfil to get our goods on the vessel, so we just pay and get it done; we are not really interested in who the insurance is coming from, but this meeting has made is clear to us that our goods are as safe as the insurance and it is mandatory to get local insurance,” a participant said.
Another one said: “I was not aware that the laws of Ghana demand that my goods get local insurance. I thought I need an insurance and that is what I have been engaged in; but after this training I need to do what the law says, because in case of any challenge I might lose a chunk of my capital”.
The GSA, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and National Insurance Commission (NIC) have signed a Marine Cargo Insurance Protocol to ensure adherence to the Insurance Act.2006 (Act 724). This requires that with the express exception of personal belongings, all goods being imported into Ghana must necessarily be insured in Ghana.
The Tema Branch Manager of the GSA, Charles Darling Sey, said the programme is part of efforts by the GSA to ensure that shippers across the country are aware of the law and adhere to it. He added that there have been several sensitisation programmes held in different parts of the country, all geared to enlighten shippers.
A Senior Manager in charge of Marketing and External Affairs at the NIC, Charles Ansong Dankyi, and an Assistant General Manager at Enterprise Insurance, Mercy Boampong, assisted the GSA during the programme.
