President John Mahama has directed the Minister of Transport to convene a meeting with the National Insurance Commission (NIC) and road transport operators to reach an agreement on the amount to be charged as insurance premiums.
Commercial drivers in Ghana who are strongly opposed to the exorbitant insurance premiums have declared a nationwide strike effective next Monday, February 8.
The drivers who are members of the Ghana Private Roads Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Roads Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), action is intended to force the Commission to reduce the high premiums.
The Ghana Insurance Association (GIA) and the Ministry of Finance reach an agreement on a 300% increase in insurance premium in July 2015 which is being implemented in two phases.
But addressing a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, the drivers stated that they “were not informed about the directive and must be reversed.”
Led by their chairman Charles Danso, the drivers said the Insurance Commission is not “being fair to them,” especially when they are not benefiting from the insurance and other transport related charges.
They emphasized that they are not ready to pay beyond 250% if the NIC refuses to reverse the policy.
However speaking at the sod cutting ceremony for the construction of the Kasoa Interchange Wednesday afternoon, President Mahama said in as much as government has no hand in the increase in insurance premiums it is concerned about the worries expressed by the drivers and want something done about the charges.
“I was watching the TV this morning where I saw our friends in road transport sector expressing concern about the challenge they that they face. My understanding is that insurance premiums have been increased. Government is not responsible for setting insurance premiums; it is the insurance companies and the National Insurance Commission. So if Insurance premiums have been increased it was not done in consultation with government.”
He added : “I’ve asked the Minister of Transport to call the National Insurance Commission, the GPRTU and other stakeholders to sit down and have a discussion on the insurance premiums and I’m sure that when that discussion happens everyone will leave there happy and there will be no problem.”
By: www.dailyviewgh.com
