A five-member taskforce from the National Insurance Commission (NIC) yesterday arrested some commercial property owners at Tema for allegedly failing to commercially insure their landed properties.
The operation which commenced around 11:00am saw owners, managers and care-takers of the Pee Tay Building, Ampenebea House, Ever Pure Company Limited – all located around the main Tema roundabout and Cardinal Petroleum being whisked and detained at the Tema Community 8 Police Station.
Owners of other commercial properties namely Link Afrique Company Limited, Gellog Limited located in the heart of the heavy industrial area of the port city were also grabbed by the Taskforce but were asked to report at the National Police Headquarters in Accra on Monday.
The exercise was aimed at ensuring compliance with sections 183 and 184 of the National Insurance Act of 2006, Act 724 on Compulsory Insurance for privately owned commercial buildings – both completed and under construction which are accessed by members of the public for obtaining educational or medical service, engaging in commercial activity for the purpose of recreation or transaction of business.
The NIC late last year embarked on a similar exercise in Accra which led to the arrest of an Indian and the Osu Branch Manager of Lara Mart Shopping Center, Santhosh Kumar and Yvonne Song, a Chinese national and one of the operators of Chateau Towers also located at Osu.
The special taskforce comprised officers of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, NIC and Ghana Insurance Association (GIA).
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the exercise, Joseph Bentor, Chairperson of the National Taskforce on Compulsory Insurance, said the exercise was aimed at protecting users and third parties against liabilities.
He indicated that the NIC had over the years educated property owners about the need to insure their properties but they have failed to adhere to the directive.
Mr. Bentor appealed to members of the business community to commercially insure their properties.
(Email: Tarluejames@yahoo.com)
BY Melvin Tarlue