Motorists warned against relinquishing claims to insurers

The CEO and General Secretary of the Ghana National Bureau of ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, Mr. Gabriel Glover says it is wrong for a person to knowingly entrust or relinquish the handling of a claim to an insurer or any person who may have a financial interest in an accident which has given rise to the claim.

Mr Glover made this known at a workshop that was attended by representatives of various insurance companies.

The workshop forms part of series of educational campaigns being organised by the Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme to sensitise stakeholders and member companies across the country on the procedures and operations of the Brown Card Insurance Scheme.

The aim of the workshop, was to sensitise member companies on the legal Texts and Harmonized Convention for Motor Victims’ Compensation as well as claims calculation for both injury and deceased.

Addressing the participants at the workshop, Mr Gabriel Glover, said, “the Structure of the Underwriting and Claims Management of ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme was established by a Provisions of the Protocol A/PI/5/82 of 29/05/82, Supplementary Protocol A/SP.2/12/01 of 21/12/2001 and Inter-Bureau Agreement of 2004”.

In a related development, the Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, on Friday 25th September 2015, organised a similar workshop for Stakeholders at Takoradi Shippers Centre. Representatives attended it from Immigration Service, Customs Exercise and Preventive Service, (CEPS) Police Service, Transporters, the Ghana Shippers Council, GPRTU and National Road Safety Commission.

The Secretary General of the Ghana National Bureau bemoaned the dearth of knowledge on the ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme among all stakeholders and the public at large. As a result, stakeholders take actions which inhibit the free movement of goods and persons such as: arrest and detention of foreign motorists involved in motor accidents, circulation of fake Brown Cards, and delay in payment of compensation to victims. ‘The Brown Card insurance does not cover criminal liability. The area of conflict is where motorists think that once they have a Brown Card they should be allowed to continue with their journey without full investigation in the criminal aspect of the acts and omissions in respect of the accident.’ He warned.

Fake Brown Cards
Mr. Glover lamented the existence of fake Brown Cards which defeats the whole purpose of the Scheme since victims of accidents caused by holders of fake Brown Cards cannot be compensated: “This development makes the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme loseshuge amounts of income hence cannot meet claims obligation in the sub region.”

He noted a new secured ECOWAS Brown Card was adopted in Cotonou, Benin on October 12, 2011, during the 28th Ordinary Session of the Council of Bureaux of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme.

The new Brown Card is a single leaflet format with security features that cannot be seen by the unaided eye. This is an improved certificate which is expected to curb the used of fake Brown Cards in our community.