ECOWAS
over the weekend held a day long sensitisation for stakeholders on ECOWAS Brown
Card Insurance Scheme designed to foster regional integration for easy movement
of goods and persons.
Speaking
at the opening session at Farafenni, Ebrima K.S. Dampha, the governor of North
Bank Region expressed delight in giving the opening remarks, while thanking the
organisers for the great gesture.
He
added that the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance scheme is an instrument of
integration set up by the ECOWAS Heads of State to facilitate the free
movements of goods and services within the Sub-region.
“It
is an extension of the local third party insurance policy, which allows
motorists to cross national boundaries of ECOWAS countries with the guarantee
that third party liability victims of motor accidents will be compensated.”
He
urged the insurance companies to be more proactive with their sensitisation
programmes and prompt payments of claims to victims of accidents.
Dawda
Sarge, the chairman national Bureau of ECOWAS Brown Card, also explained that
its main objectives are to enhance the free movement of road users and foster
regional integration, whilst guaranteeing a fair and prompt compensation
framework to victims of road traffic accident for losses suffered by visiting
motorists from other ECOWAS member states.
“We
operate through a network of 14 bureaus in each of the 14 ECOWAS member states
that share land border. Each national bureau performs two main functions;
issuing bureau and to investigate and settle claims arising out of road traffic
accidents.”
Ismaila
Saidy, representative of Ministry of Trade, stated that the card plays an
important role towards the realisation of the development aspiration of ECOWAS
member states and citizens.
“The
government of The Gambia will continue to support bureau’s programmes and policies
to enable them to realise its goals and objectives.”
Sambou
Ndour, a representative of Senegal Police also emphasised the importance of
insurance.
He
added that the use of insurance is important because one can have his compound
burned or be involved in a car accident. He argued that insurance can become
useful to the person in that case.
“Both
Senegalese and Gambian authorities do deal with each others’ citizens but with
the use of the card, it will help us to easily execute our duties, he said. “Senegal
and Gambia are the same, it was just the whites that divided us but in
tradition, we have ever been the same.”
Saikou
Gassama, representative of the Commissioner of Insurance at the Central Bank of
The Gambia, said they only go for success; adding the beginning matters a lot
and then progresses to succeed.
