Ghana National Insurance Commission urges flood insurance uptake and says insurers will set up special claims support desks

The Ghana National Insurance Commission used its participation in a national flood aftermath clean-up exercise in Accra to urge households and businesses to protect property and other assets against flood losses through insurance. In the same update, Acting Commissioner of Insurance Abiba Zakariah said insurers are putting in place special claims support desks to speed the processing and settlement of valid claims from policyholders affected by the June 29 floods. The commission framed the message around both disaster recovery and risk prevention. Zakariah said the industry's role goes beyond compensation after a loss and includes helping people prevent losses and improve preparedness before future rainy seasons. She also said the industry will step up efforts to improve insurance awareness and accessibility. Supporting that message, Ghana Reinsurance PLC's managing director pushed back on the perception that insurers do not honor claims and said firms increasingly compete on the speed and efficiency of settling legitimate claims. He also argued that cover remains affordable relative to asset values, citing an annual premium of about GHS 2,000 to insure property worth GHS 1 million. The remarks were made during the nationwide clean-up initiative ordered after the June 29 floods. Industry participants also linked insurance protection with broader flood-risk reduction measures, including environmental sanitation, advance planning and coordination among government, businesses and citizens.