Importers, exporters and other stakeholders in Ghana’s maritime and trading industry have been urged to prioritise marine cargo insurance and professional loss assessment as part of efforts to protect businesses against financial losses arising from damaged, stolen or missing consignments.
The call was made by the Chief Executive Officer of Insurance Claims Specialist Group (ICSG) Ltd, Mr Dennis Tufour, at a media briefing held at the International Press Centre in Accra on Monday, November 9, 2026.
The briefing, organised in collaboration with the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG), also marked the formal introduction of ICSG to the country’s trading and business community and the commencement of a public education campaign aimed at improving awareness of compulsory marine cargo insurance, cargo loss assessment and insurance claims management.
Speaking at the event, Mr Tufour said cargo losses went beyond ordinary shipping challenges, explaining that damaged or missing consignments could undermine business capital, disrupt supply contracts, affect production and threaten employment.
He noted that behind every shipment was a significant business investment and the livelihoods of individuals and families who depended on the successful movement of goods.
According to him, marine cargo insurance remained an important instrument for protecting such investments, but businesses needed to look beyond merely obtaining insurance certificates.
He stressed that importers and exporters must understand the terms and conditions of their insurance policies, report incidents promptly, preserve relevant evidence and ensure that claims were properly documented and professionally assessed.
Mr Tufour explained that cargo could suffer damage at various stages of the transportation and logistics chain, including during loading, shipping, transshipment, storage, unloading and inland transportation.
He identified risks such as fire, accidents, water damage, theft, contamination, poor packaging and mishandling as some of the incidents capable of exposing businesses to significant financial losses.
He further emphasised that professional loss assessment was critical to establishing the circumstances, probable causes and extent of damage, adding that independent and evidence-based assessments would help promote transparency and support the efficient consideration of legitimate insurance claims.
The ICSG Chief Executive Officer outlined three essential principles for importers and exporters: insure correctly, report promptly and document professionally.
He urged businesses to ensure that their insurance policies accurately reflected the nature, value and movement of their consignments while familiarising themselves with policy exclusions, deductibles and notification requirements.
He also advised cargo owners to notify their insurers and other relevant parties immediately when damage or loss was discovered, take photographs and videos of affected goods, preserve damaged packaging and maintain all relevant shipping and commercial documents.
Mr Tufour said these measures would strengthen the quality of evidence available for claims assessment and help reduce unnecessary delays and misunderstandings among insurers, cargo owners, shipping companies and other stakeholders.
On the partnership with IEAG, he said ICSG was committed to providing specialist support in cargo loss assessment and claims management, including cargo inspections, documentation of evidence, preparation of objective assessment reports and facilitating communication among parties involved in the claims process.
He added that the initiative would pay particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often have limited financial resources and could suffer severe consequences from the loss or damage of a single consignment.
The public education campaign, according to him, would utilise television, radio, print media, digital platforms, stakeholder engagements and workshops to educate businesses on insurance requirements, claims procedures, loss prevention and the responsibilities of various players in the maritime and logistics industry.
IEAG JUSTIFIES PARTNERSHIP WITH ICSG
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Mr Samson Asaki Awingobit, described the partnership with ICSG as an important intervention towards strengthening the professional support systems available to businesses engaged in international trade.
He explained that the Association’s decision to collaborate with ICSG was informed by the need to provide its members and the wider trading community with access to specialised technical assistance when dealing with cargo losses and insurance-related challenges.
Mr Awingobit observed that although insurance provided an important layer of protection for imported and exported goods, many businesses encountered difficulties establishing the extent of damage, understanding policy requirements, documenting losses and pursuing legitimate claims when incidents occurred.
He said professional loss assessment would help bridge this gap by providing independent technical assessments and the necessary documentation to support the fair and transparent determination of insurance claims.
The IEAG Executive Secretary further noted that the partnership was particularly timely in view of the country’s renewed focus on strengthening local marine cargo insurance and the impending enforcement of the mandatory local cargo insurance framework.
He maintained that as more insurance transactions were domiciled locally, the availability of competent local claims assessment services would be critical to building confidence in the country’s insurance system.
Mr Awingobit encouraged importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other businesses to take advantage of the services being introduced by ICSG, stressing that the partnership went beyond introducing another service provider.
He said it was part of broader efforts to protect commercial investments, strengthen institutional support for Ghanaian businesses and contribute to a more efficient, accountable and resilient maritime trade environment.
CALL FOR REVIEW OF COMPENSATION UNDER CAP 21
Beyond marine cargo insurance, Mr Tufour also called for a comprehensive and evidence-based review of the limitation on compensation for personal injury and death under the framework commonly referred to as CAP 21.
He argued that compensation arrangements should reflect prevailing economic realities, including inflation, rising medical and rehabilitation expenses, loss of present and future income, long-term disability costs and the financial needs of dependants.
He observed that serious injuries and fatalities could have lasting financial and social consequences for victims and their families, particularly where the deceased was the principal breadwinner.
Mr Tufour said ICSG was prepared to engage regulators, policymakers, insurers, legal professionals, medical experts and other relevant stakeholders to examine the adequacy of the existing compensation framework and support reforms where evidence justified such changes.
He maintained that any proposed review should strike a balance between providing fair and meaningful compensation to victims and their dependants and ensuring the sustainability of the insurance industry.
STAKEHOLDERS URGED TO SUPPORT CAMPAIGN
The two organisations called on regulators, insurers, insurance brokers, shipping lines, freight forwarders, port and terminal operators, warehouse providers and the wider business community to support the public education initiative.
They stressed that effective cargo protection was a shared responsibility requiring cooperation among all players in the international trade and logistics chain.
The campaign is expected to improve public understanding of marine cargo insurance, promote compliance with applicable insurance requirements and equip businesses with the practical knowledge needed to respond appropriately when cargo is lost or damaged.
The initiative is ultimately aimed at strengthening confidence in Ghana’s marine insurance and trade sectors while protecting businesses, commercial investments and livelihoods.
