Insurance clinics have been launched for market traders and artisans and other informa-sector workers in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) to promote insurance inclusion and penetration.
The clinics are an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), National Insurance Commission (NIC) and the Insurance Awareness Coordinators’ Group.
The clinics take the form of interactive sessions with these sectors on the risks they face in their businesses and personal lives. The first sessions run from September to November in several towns in GAMA such as Ada, Sege, and Kasoa, according to local media reports.
Acting Commissioner of Insurance, Mr Michael Kofi Andoh, speaking at the launch ceremony, stressed the need for the insurance sector to grow with a focus on the informal sector. He noted that over 70% of the national workforce operates within the informal sector and is mostly underserved by insurers.
Dr Kingsley Kwabason, CEO of the Ghana Insurers Association (GIA) said that although Ghana is the first country in Africa to develop a framework for inclusive insurance, not much progress in its implementation has been realised.
During the launch, the UNDP IRFF in collaboration with the Ghana Insurance College, with the support of the NIC, introduced the Inclusive Insurance Certification Programme.
Ms Linet Odera, the regional technical advisor for UNDP’s IRFF, commended the NIC for rolling out the inclusive insurance certification programme, predicting it would increase the supply of insurance in the country whilst the awareness clinics would help promote insurance demand.