Koforidua, Nov. 20, GNA - The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister Ms Susana Mensah, has urged the public to embrace insurance policies for the safety of their lives and property.

She said the general perception that insurance companies in the country were very slow in paying insurance claims was a thing of the past.

Ms Mensah made the observation at the commissioning of the refurbished offices of the Koforidua branch of the State Insurance Company (SIC).

She emphasized that the events of the past week where the SIC in one single day paid claims amounting to 300 billion cedis to it's policyholders gave credence to the fact that the insurance industry was up and doing to their task. The Managing Director of the SIC, Mr Peter Osei Duah, said the refurbishment formed part of the nationwide rehabilitation of all four area offices and branch offices of the company to suit it's status as the premier in the insurance industry. He said the redeeming of the company's image was not in the area of refurbishment alone but that it had also projected the training of all it's staff to ensure that the human resource base was developed within the enterprise.

Mr Duah urged employees of the company to be customer friendly to reflect the heartening changes being taking place within. The MD thanked the people of the New Juaben, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the New Juaben Omanhene, Daasebre Oti-Boateng, for their continuous support and patronage that had helped the company to chalk some success.

He said in recognition of Dassebre's singular leadership, the company had given him life insurance coverage so that he could continue with his good works.

Daasebre Oti-Boateng said Koforidua was 5th in terms of population, according to the 2000 census and therefore the company's operation in the area would be successful since insurance thrived on numbers. He thanked the management of the SIC for the life insurance coverage and expressed the hope that it would, encourage him on his resolve to play a leading role in the development of the municipality and the region as a whole.