BENEFITS OF FIRE INSURANCE AND CONSEQUENCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE IN GHANA: A CASE STUDY OF DANSOMAN COMMUNITY

Abstract

The topic of the study is Benefits of Fire Insurance and Consequences of Noncompliance. This study was carried out to determine the level of public awareness of insurance benefits and to identify the reasons for non- compliance with fire insurance policies. Convenience sampling technique was used in the collection of data. The study indicated that electrical faults, carelessness, improper use of LPG gas and illegal connections cause fire outbreaks. Most Ghanaians do not comply with fire insurance policy; hence they do not know the benefit of fire insurance policy. Ghanaians do not comply with fire insurance policy due to inadequate education on fire insurance policies and their benefits, insurance companies not being reliable, lack of enforcement of the Insurance Act 2006, Act 724 section 184, and lack of interest in the fire insurance policy. Also the economy experiences unemployment, loss of property, loss of lives, decreases in output and low level of investment whenever there are fire outbreaks. The study revealed that the majority of Ghanaians are not aware of the Insurance Policy Act and its associated benefits. It is recommended that active education about the benefits of insurance and strict enforcement procedures should be followed.

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Key words: Benefits, Fire Insurance, Consequences, Dansoman-Community, Ghana