The Chairman of the Council of Bureaux of the Economic Com­munity of West African States (ECOWAS) Brown Card Insur­ance Scheme, Henry Bukari, has called for swift settlement of cross-border motor insurance claims to promote trade in the sub-region.

That, he said, would facilitate free movement of people in the ECOWAS sub-region.

Mr Bukari, who is the Manag­ing Director of Phoenix Insur­ance Company Ghana, made the call during the first general meeting of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme underway in Conakry, Guinea.

The ECOWAS Brown Card In­surance Scheme is an extension of the motor insurance cover which is meant to promote the free movement of people and their goods in the ECOWAS Region through rapid and fair compensa­tion for cross-border claims in the event of accidents.

Mr Bukari in his address en­treated practitioners and handlers of motor insurance claims to put the interest of victims who were involved in accidents in countries outside their country of origin and expedite the payment of their insurance claims to give them financial relief.

He said objective of the Conakry meeting was to revise the technical texts relating to the ECOWAS Brown Card Insur­ance Scheme, particularly those concerning the settlement of cross-border claims.

He further said the review had come necessary to meet current developments in the insurance industry in the ECOWAS sub-re­gion.

The Second vice Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea, Souadou Balde, who represented the Governor of the Central Bank of Guinea, Mr Karamo Kaba, said the Guinean government would implement the resolutions reached at the meeting to ensure prompt payment of cross-border claims.

Mrs Marie Bilé, Chargé d’Af­faires of the Resident Representa­tive of the ECOWAS Commission in Guinea, said, “I am here not only to learn, but also to ensure that ECOWAS texts are respected in order to have a regional com­munity that is inclusive enough for the well-being of all.”

Mr Ciré Bah, Chairman of the Guinean National Office of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, said he was pleased to have hosted the first meeting of their organisation.