Home - Chief Whips push to end third-party insurance exemption for government vehicles

The Majority and Minority Chief Whips in Parliament have called for the removal of a legal exemption that allows government-owned vehicles to operate without compulsory third-party insurance, warning that accident victims are often left to struggle for compensation when state vehicles are involved in road crashes.

The two Chief Whips, Frank Annoh-Dompreh and Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, want the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act, 1958 (Act 42), amended to make insurance compulsory for government vehicles, just as it is for privately owned vehicles.

In a joint statement presented to Parliament, the lawmakers raised concerns about the difficulties victims face in obtaining compensation following accidents involving government-owned vehicles, particularly where no insurance policy exists to cover the resulting claims.

They argued that the existing exemption creates an unfair situation in which victims of accidents involving state vehicles may face additional challenges in pursuing compensation for injuries, property damage and other losses.

The Chief Whips are therefore urging the government to direct all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to insure their vehicle fleets and make the necessary financial provisions for the premiums in the 2027 national budget.

Their proposal would ensure that government vehicles are covered by third-party insurance, providing an established mechanism through which victims can seek compensation when accidents occur.

The matter was subsequently referred to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, and the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, for consideration and possible amendments to the existing law.

The referral was made by First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, who was presiding over proceedings in Parliament.

The specific provision the two Chief Whips want amended is Section 5(a) of the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act, 1958 (Act 42). It expressly exempts vehicles owned by the government, or used exclusively in government service, from the compulsory insurance requirement under Section 3 when they are being used for government purposes.

The law, which was passed in 1958, came into force on April 1, 1959.

The proposal comes against the backdrop of rising road accident figures in Ghana. According to statistics released by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), the country recorded 14,743 road crashes in 2025, up from 13,489 in 2024.

Road crash fatalities also increased by 18.2 per cent, from 2,494 in 2024 to 2,949 in 2025, while injuries rose from 15,607 to 16,714 over the same period. A total of 24,938 vehicles were involved in reported crashes in 2025.

Although the figures do not specify how many of the crashes involved government-owned vehicles, they provide a broader context for the debate over insurance coverage and compensation for road accident victims.

Ghana also operates a Motor Compensation Fund under the National Insurance Commission (NIC), which provides assistance to victims of accidents involving uninsured or untraced vehicles.

However, the Fund's stated coverage is generally limited to claims involving death and bodily injury, rather than property damage. This distinction further highlights the potential importance of extending compulsory third-party insurance to government vehicle fleets.

If adopted, the proposed amendment would remove the special exemption currently enjoyed by government-owned vehicles and bring them under the compulsory third-party insurance framework.

The proposal places the financial protection of road accident victims at the centre of the debate, with the Chief Whips seeking to ensure that people injured or affected by accidents involving state-owned vehicles have an effective route to compensation.

EA