The next of kin of service persons who die while undertaking the mandatory national exercise, will receive the same amount from Glico Life.

This follows the launch of a group insurance package by the National Service Scheme (NSS), in collaboration with the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), in Accra on Tuesday.

The insurance package which takes retrospective effect from September 1 this year, will also make GH¢3,000 available to service persons who suffer accidents that will keep them off their duties as user agencies for a month.

Other benefits

The Executive Director of the NSS, Mr Ussif Mustafa, explained that all service personnel would pay a monthly premium of GH¢15 to benefit from the insurance package.

“As part of this comprehensive initiative, there is a special package for free inter MTN calls for service persons each month, GH¢5 recharge airtime from MTN to other networks every month, free browsing on social media, 500 free messages, 100 per cent bonus on all MTN recharge made by service persons, as well as free viewing of a movie twice a year at Silver Star Cinema,” he added.

He impressed on all service personnel to see the insurance package as an opportunity and motivation for them to render dedicated service at their user agencies.

Timely initiative

In his speech to officially launch the insurance policy, the Chairman of the NSS Board, Professor Kofi Osei-Akuoku, said the policy had come at an opportune time.

“The NSS board endorsed this insurance policy because we took into consideration the vulnerability of a large number of the service persons who are working under harsh and challenging situations, including health challenges and loss of life in the line of duty.

“It is for these and other reasons that the board lends its support to ensuring that the insurance policy comes to fruition,” he said.

Prof. Osei-Akuoku urged the management of Glico Life to ensure that qualified service persons had prompt access to claims in times of need, stressing “we will not hesitate at all to abrogate the agreement if the quality of the service is compromised.”

Assurance

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Glico Life has promised the NSS community and the public that the company would do all within its means to ensure that NSS personnel received all benefits under the insurance cover.

“Most of the time, it is disheartening that when service persons suffer misfortunes in the form of accidents and are injured, they are virtually left to their fate since there is no scheme in place to compensate or take care of them. With this policy in place now, the fear of the unknown that often make service persons reject postings to unfamiliar environments will be reduced,” he noted.

He announced that Glico Life had brought on board a financial service company to disburse special loans to assist service persons at any time during the period of their national service.

The President of NASPA, Mr Philip Quaye, described the insurance policy as a dream come true and said that it would alleviate the sufferings and challenges service persons faced.

More than 90,000 service persons were posted to user agencies across the country for the 2017/18 service year.

The NSS launched a hire purchase arrangement with Hisense for the supply of electronic and home appliances to service persons in June, this year.