The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 35th Ordinary General Assembly of the Council of Bureau of ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme opened in Banjul on Tuesday.
The regional forum is aimed at enlightening the participants on the Brown Cards Insurance Scheme, with the theme “35 years of regional integration through insurance – Achievements challenge and prospects.”
Dawda Sager, Chairman of national Bureau, ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme in The Gambia, said: “It is indeed appropriate as it allows delegates and participant to critically review the general effects of the scheme and its relative impact on using insurance as a vehicle for regional integration.
“Therefore, it is our hope that this meeting will provide delegates another platform to dialogue of the scheme and support its prospects at the same time.”
In his welcome addressing, the Chairman of the Council of Bureau, Mr. Souleyman Cisse, ECOWAS Card Insurance Scheme, said that the general assembly provides the national bureau a unique opportunity to interact and facilitate the development of ideas and instruments that will develop the scheme.
According to him, during the period under review, the institution continued to deliver its foremost mandate which is to put an end to the suffering of the victims of road traffic accidents through prompt and fair settlement of cross–border claims.
“This is against the backdrop of unsteady payment of contributions to the budget of the council which hinders the funding for planned activities.
The failure to fully implement the texts governing the operation of the scheme also posed some major challenges to the smooth running of the scheme,” he said.
He also said that during the years, the bureau embarked on a news revolution agenda ‘which is repositioning the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance scheme’.
Author: Saidou Baldeh