The National Insurance Commission (NIC) has resolved to strengthen its partnership with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to intensify sensitisation on the acquisition of local insurance by all importers.
The move has become imperative following the challenges faced by the NIC with the initial roll-out of the programme on September 1, 2022 even though a sensitisation on marine cargo insurance had been done nation-wide.
At the Cargo Insurance Committee meeting on 11th October, 2022 at the Shippers’ House in Accra, it was agreed that a sensitisation workshop should be held for members of the Ghana Insurers Association and insurance brokers, as well as importers across the country to engender compliance.
Per the Marine Insurance Act 2006 (Act 724), Section 37(1) (c), unless authorised by the National Insurance Commission, a person shall not enter into a contract of insurance with an offshore insurer in respect of goods, other than personal effects, being imported into the country.
Head of the Freight and Logistics Department of the GSA, Mr. Fred Asiedu Dartey, explained that although the authority had already concluded a nation-wide sensitisation of shippers on local insurance, there is the need to repeat the exercise to focus on some operational areas.
“It is appropriate that we undertake another round of training; this time, setting out all the elements including the issue of claims and its procedures, and what to do if the figures provided by an importer are rejected by Customs. These are very important elements that will be included in the sanitisation for a second round,” he noted.
Deputy Commissioner of Insurance at the NIC, Mr. Michael Kofi Andoh, said the commission will engage the insurance brokers and relevant stakeholders in order to expedite action on the training workshop, after which certificates will be awarded.
