The Ghana National Bureau of the Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme, in partnership with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority has held three-day workshops in the Secondi- Takoradi and Elubo Municipality in the Western region of Ghana, to educate transport stakeholders and insurance companies on the procedures and operations of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme. The workshop for transport stakeholders was held at the Shippers’ Centre, Takoradi. It was attended by representatives from various key stakeholders, drawn from the Security Agencies, Insurance companies, Transport Owners, Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Institute of Freight and Forwarders, GPRTU and PROTOA. Other participants included: Ghana Shippers Council, Ministry of Trade and Iindustry, Ghana Road Transport Council, Ministry of Road and Highways, Ghana Revenue Authority, National Road Safety Commission, Ghana Haulage Transport Drivers Association, Ghana Haulage Transport Owners Association and the Media. In his remarks the Chairman of the programme Mr Seth Twum- Akwaboah, Executive Director of Association of Ghana Industry (AGI) said the transportation challenges on our trade corridors in the sub region ranges from inefficient road traffic management, bad quality of road worthy trucks and regulations governing transportation and consequently resulted in high cost of transportation in West Africa. He said any effort to improve the logistics chain and reduce cost is a welcome idea for business. Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Madam Sylvia Asana Owu, Head of Shipping Services Department said the Ghana Shippers Authority has been involved in the facilitation of inter-state road transit operations tasked with the duty of promoting the use of Ghana corridor by our landlocked neighbors for their transit cargoes. She said the Authority has signed a Memorandum of understanding with its counterpart shipper organization in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger for the effective usage of the Ghana corridor by these countries. The workshop for member companies of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme was held at Raybow Hotel, Takoradi. The Chairman for the programme, Mr. Kwabena Minta Ntim, Area Manager, SIC Insurance Company said the workshop was designed to educate underwriting and claims managers on the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme because these are the personnel who deal with the public, and handle claims that come in. He stressed that the “Training is a very important component of the insurance profession as it helps us to broaden and refresh our minds as well as help us to adapt to changes thereby making us versatile, dynamic and by extension impact positively on our overall performance. THE Ecowas Brown Card which is an instrument of integration in the West African Sub-region was signed by Heads of State in protocol A/P1/82 in Cotonou, Benin in 1982 aiming to facilitate the free movement of people and goods. It is an extension of the Third Party Motor Insurance cover for motorist within the sub region. The holders of the Brown Card can travel to any country among the member states of ECOWAS without having to pay for a new insurance policy in the country visited. In the event of an accident occurring in the country visited, the National Bureau of that country will assist the card holder as regards the follow up on any compensation due to third parties under the provisions of the protocol establishing the scheme. Explaining the benefits of the ECOWAS Brown Card insurance Scheme, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Bureau of ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, Mr Gabriel Glover said the card protects car owners from third party liabilities incurred in foreign countries since they are fully covered under the auspices of the protocol. He noted that drivers are no longer jailed for accidents causing damages for third party liabilities since the Brown Card cover is enough evidence of his insurer’s ability to pay compensation for such liabilities. “The National Bureau of the country visited would act as handling bureau for your claim in case of any accident and is fully equipped to assist you as regards the follow up of any compensation due to third parties,” Glover stressed. Mr Glover, who was also the main facilitator of the workshop, further explained that in the event of accident the driver should inform the police or other qualified authority nearest to the place of the accident. “Provide them with your Brown Card insurance policy to ascertain that your insurance is valid. Immediately, contact the National Bureau where the accident occurred and provide them with a copy of your Brown Card. The National Bureau will arrange to inform your issuing bureau i.e. from the country you took the Brown Card about the accident to enable them notify your insurance company. You will also report the accident to your insurance company as soon as practicable and payments will be made through the national bureau for material damage and/or injury and death after the claims process is completed”, the CEO concluded. Revealing the rationale behind the introduction of the new secured version of the ECOWAS Brown Insurance Card, Mr. Glover said the new Brown Card came about as a result of the old card being easily forged. He noted that fake cards have been inundated in the system thus necessitating the introduction of the new brown card with improved security features embedded in it which are not visible but can be seen only by those inspecting the card that will be using sophisticated gadgets to verify if the card is faked or not. He said the new card is only one single leaflet “with significant security features that cannot be seen by the naked eye”. He also disclosed that the new card was launched in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on 12 October 2011 during the 28th Ordinary Session of the Council of Bureaux of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme. Addressing the closing session of the workshop at Elubo, Mr. Justices Kwamina Addison urged all stakeholders to complement the efforts of the Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme in order to garner as much knowledge as possible about the new brown.