Annoh-Dompreh calls for compulsory insurance for government vehicles

The Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has called on the government to abolish the exemption granted to government-owned vehicles from compulsory third-party motor insurance.

He argues that the current arrangement undermines equality before the law and exposes victims of road accidents involving state-owned vehicles to unnecessary difficulties in securing compensation.

Speaking in Parliament on the need to protect lives and public assets through government vehicle insurance, Annoh-Dompreh said the State must be willing to comply with the same insurance requirements it imposes on private motorists.

He noted that the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act, 1958 (Act 42), prohibits the use of motor vehicles on public roads without valid third-party insurance, with violations attracting fines of up to 250 penalty units, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.

However, he pointed out that the legislation exempts government-owned vehicles, or vehicles exclusively employed in government service, when used for official purposes.

According to him, this creates an unfair situation in which traders, taxi drivers and commercial tricycle operators are required to insure their vehicles while the State remains exempt from the same obligation.

The Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP cited road safety statistics to underscore the urgency of the issue, revealing that Ghana recorded 2,949 road fatalities in 14,743 crashes in 2025.

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He said the figure represents an 18.2 per cent increase over the 2,494 deaths recorded in 2024 and is the highest annual road fatality toll in 35 years.

He further disclosed that 16,714 people sustained injuries, while 2,561 pedestrians were knocked down during the year.

Annoh-Dompreh added that road crashes have claimed 63,599 lives since 1991, while the National Road Safety Authority estimates that road accidents cost the country more than US$230 million annually, representing approximately 1.7 per cent of Ghana's Gross Domestic Product.

He stressed that government vehicles, including ambulances, school buses, official cars and agency pick-ups, use the same roads and are equally capable of causing accidents and injuring innocent people.

The Minority Chief Whip recalled that the issue of uninsured government vehicles had been raised by successive administrations and parliamentary committees over the years.

He cited a 2018 explanation by a former Senior Minister that government vehicles were not insured as a matter of policy because the State was prepared to pay compensation whenever accidents occurred.

He also referred to findings cited by the Public Accounts Committee in 2022, which reportedly revealed that more than 18,000 government vehicles were uninsured, with approximately 98 to 99 per cent of the fleet lacking insurance cover.

He further referenced a July 2024 accident involving an uninsured GETFund school bus near Koforidua, which reportedly left victims without insurance benefits.

Annoh-Dompreh also welcomed the Minister for Health's disclosure that the country's ambulance fleet was uninsured when he assumed office, commending subsequent efforts to address the situation.

He argued that the decision to insure ambulances demonstrates that extending insurance coverage to other government vehicles is both practical and achievable.

Addressing arguments that government could meet compensation claims through self-insurance, Annoh-Dompreh maintained that such an arrangement, without a dedicated and protected compensation fund, offers victims inadequate protection.

He explained that victims seeking compensation from government-owned vehicles could be forced to petition ministries, pursue legal action against the Attorney-General and wait for budgetary allocations before receiving compensation.

He also cited concerns raised by the National Insurance Commission (NIC) that the processes involved in obtaining compensation from state-owned vehicles are not straightforward, noting that the Commission has called for a review of the existing exemption.

According to him, compulsory insurance would provide a more reliable mechanism for compensating accident victims, since insurers are required under Act 42 to satisfy judgments against insured persons, subject to the law's provisions.

He added that insurance would also provide the government with predictable and budgetable premium costs instead of exposing the public purse to potentially significant and unexpected compensation liabilities.

The MP further questioned the constitutional justification for maintaining the exemption, invoking Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.

He argued that a legal framework that imposes compulsory insurance obligations on ordinary citizens while exempting the State weakens public confidence in the insurance industry.

He maintained that government must demonstrate leadership by complying with the laws and regulatory standards it expects citizens to observe.

In his proposed measures, Annoh-Dompreh urged the government to work with the National Insurance Commission and the Attorney-General to introduce amendments to Act 42 to remove the exemption for government vehicles.

He also called for immediate directives requiring all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to insure their vehicle fleets and register them on the Motor Insurance Database, without waiting for the proposed legislative amendments.

Additionally, he urged government to make adequate provision for insurance premiums in the 2027 national budget and publish an audit detailing the size of the State's vehicle fleet and the insurance status of each vehicle.

The Minority Chief Whip emphasised that the issue should not be treated as a partisan political matter, acknowledging that successive governments had failed to address the exemption.

He called for bipartisan support to reform the law and strengthen protection for victims of road accidents involving government vehicles.

AM

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