The Founder of Salt and Light Ministries, Rev Dr Joyce Aryee, has called on insurance practitioners to be more professional in insurance practice.

According to the former Ghana Chamber of Mines CEO, that is the surest way to engender trust among members of the insuring public.

She made this call when some 299 graduated from the Ghana Insurance College (GIC) after their successful completion of certificate and Diploma programmes in 2019 and 2020.

She made this call during the GIC's 13th and 14th graduation ceremonies to confer the students after they have successfully completed their programmes in Applied Insurance Studies from the College.

Addressing the students at a graduation ceremony, Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the guest speaker for the occasion, charged the students to remain professional and ethical as they venture out in the world of work.

“It is these good practices and the way we work that go beyond what the law and regulation require and put the customer's development at the heart of it all."

“What we must realise is that the hallmark of professionalism goes beyond technical competence and legal fulfilment but requires commitment to satisfy the customer and contribute to the development agenda thereby sowing the seed of trust,” she said.

Dr Aryee emphasised that good communication was critical towards developing the insurance and financial sector and urged all stakeholders and practitioners to change the insurance industry's perceptions.

“Communication is very crucial in the insurance sector and the financial sector in general. However, the low trust among insurance companies in the UK has been driven by poor customer engagement across several channels, according to a new report,” she revealed.

However, she called on insurance practitioners to also set realistic goals and expectations to allow customers to fully grasp the value of the products they are signing on to.

The Ghana Insurance College is the the premier training institution for insurance practitioners in the country.

So far, over 350 professionals have successfully graduated from the College, with some of them holding principal positions such as Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers, etc.

A breakdown shows that 10 qualified to be awarded certificates, 139 applied insurance studies diploma and 18 in e-learning in 2019.

While in 2020, 132 passed, out of which 24 were awarded a certificate in insurance and 91 applied insurance studies Diploma, while 17 in e-learning.

The Commissioner of Insurance, Dr Justice Ofori, expressed delight at the fact that "the College has moved a notch closer to its vision of being a centre of excellence and advancement of best practice and cutting edge for professional competence in insurance in the country and the West African sub-region."

He admonished the graduands that "the real value of the qualifications you receive today lies in how you apply the training you have received".

The Director of the GIC, Richard Okyere, disclosed that the GIC has decentralised its examination centres where one can be in Kumasi or Tamale and still write the professional GIC exams without having to travel to Accra to do so.

He also encouraged the graduands to remain competent, willing, and up to the task of putting the customer's interest first. Some graduands who excelled in various subjects were awarded special prizes.

Reagan Osei Akoto was adjudged the Overall Best Diploma Student for 2019 while Bismarck Kantanka Sarfo picked the Overall Best Student award for 2020