Business News of Friday, 14 June 2013

Source: B&FT

ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme holds educational workshops

The Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, the organisation responsible for coordinating the activities of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme in Ghana, has held a training workshop for all insurance companies in Kumasi on Monday, 10th June, 2013 at Miklin Hotel, Kumasi.

The workshop focused on underwriting and claims management of the Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme as specified in the provisions of the scheme’s protocols.

Speaking to the media in Kumasi, the CEO/General Secretary of the Ghana National Bureau of the scheme, Mr. Gabriel Glover, said: “The Bureau recognises the important role of the insurance companies as parties responsible for issuing the brown card to motorists across the sub-region”.

He emphasised the huge responsibility placed on insurance companies to issue to its policyholders Ecowas Brown Cards which guarantee such policyholders adequate cover against motor vehicle third-party risks they incur in countries they visit.

Touching on claims management, the CEO said: “Any claim reported to the issuing bureau will be examined promptly and unequivocally admitted or repudiated within thirty (30) days of receipt of the report from the handling bureau. If the liability is admitted, the claim will be settled within thirty (30) days of such admission”.

Participants were also taken through a new ICT Consulting software called BCWEB Sys (Brown Card Web System), which is a cloud computing solution hosted on a remote server, designed to centralise online ECOWAS BROWN CARD Certificates’ information to follow up Brown Card Sales turnover and to have an automatic outside claim report when a claim file is opened in the country of the accident.

The ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme was established following endorsement of the 1982 Protocol to enhance inter-states transport by Heads of Governments of the Economic Community of West African States. The Protocol as amended aims at facilitating free movement for the citizens of member-states and guaranteeing fair and prompt compensation for damages suffered by victims of road accidents involving international road users.

The Brown card team moved from Kumasi to Techiman on Tuesday, 11th June and Bolgatanga on Thursday, 13th June respectively to provide training to Police MTTU officials who handle ECOWAS Brown Card cases at our exit and entry points.