Education on ECOWAS Brown Card held in Kumasi

The Ghana National Bureau of the Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme has held a two-day sensitisation workshop to educate stakeholders in Kumasi on the newly updated and secured version of the Ecowas Brown Card which came into effect in January 1, 2012.

The workshop brought together representatives from the insurance companies, security agencies, transporters, freight and forwarders. The two-day synergy availed participants the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the operations and procedure of the Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme.

The Ecowas Brown Card allows the free movement of people and goods within Ecowas member states. The card provides compensation to victims of motor accidents, which may occur while travelling within the sub-region.

It also provides insurance cover for third party liability risks relating to accidents resulting in death and /or bodily injury and property damage.

The Chairperson of the occasion, Ms Lydia Bawa of SIC-Kumasi, explained that the workshop was a welcome initiative by the Ghana National Bureau. She said, “we need to be properly sensitised as to what the brown card talks about, its importance and of course to understand why the protocol dictates its introduction.”

Explaining the rationale behind the introduction of the new brown card, Mr Gabriel Glover, the CEO/Secretary General of the Ghana National Bureau of the Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme, said the old card could easily be forged as many fake cards were being discovered in the region.

“This necessitated the introduction of a new card with improved security features. The new card has security features embedded in it which are not visible but can be seen only by those inspecting the card, who will be using sophisticated gadgets to verify if the card is fake or not,” Mr Glover explained.

The new card is only one single leaflet with significant security features that cannot be seen by the naked eye. It was launched in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on October 2011 during the 28th Ordinary Session of the Council of Bureau of the Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme.

Mr Gabriel Glover further said that the Brown Card was one of the most successful instruments of integration in Ecowas; and called on the security personnel whose role it is to protect citizens and also all other concerned individuals to embrace the card.

The Ecowas Brown Card boss urged motorists not to cross the borders without acquiring a brown card from their insurance companies because it was for their own protection. It is believed that the introduction of the new Ecowas secured card would certainly help in strengthening, fast-tracking and simplifying the process for claims settlements.