The Insurance Training College (ITC) has announced this year’s annual ITC insurance conference will be held on October 26 and 27 at the Las Vegas Hotel in Mbarara City.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Saul Sseremba, the CEO for the Insurance Training College said the conference will run under the theme,” “ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and Sustainability Trends for Today’s Organization.”
Sseremba explained that during the conference, industry leaders, experts and professionals will delve into the critical issue of Environmental, Social, and Governance by engaging in thought-provoking discussions, networking opportunities, and valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the insurance sector.
“The conference is one of the platforms we have put forward to exchange ideas. We bring on board different speakers to deliberate on key issues that pertain to the industry. One of the trending issues now is ESG because companies can no longer focus on the balance sheet but they have to take care of the environment, take care of the societies in which they operate, they have to look at the governance,” Sseremba said.
“We thought this was the prime time for us to have a platform to discuss issues to do with ESG. We hope this conference will move the discussions of insurance from the city center to the regions and we have a lot of the activities we have aligned including exhibitions, matches, trainings so that we can further have insurance penetration into the society.”
Sseremba said that another key issue that will be discussed is ensuring increasing the penetration of the insurance sector which currently stands at 1%.
The ICT CEO attributed this state of affairs to insurance being an intangible service, making it difficult for some people to appreciate it.
“As a sector, we must do all it takes to create awareness in the masses. We believe once this is consistent, we can build masses that can appreciate insurance more. As a college, we have taken a step further to engage schools and we have included insurance in the curriculum for secondary schools because we believe once these people are taught insurance from that level, they appreciate the concept.”
David Tumuhaise from Africa Re-Insurance Corporation – a Platinum sponsor for the conference noted that ESG is a very relevant topic for insurers.
“Today, the focus is not on how much profit you make but how are you contributing to the society and you do that by promoting the environment, by ensuring the gender issue, ensuring there is fairness,” Tumuhaise said.
Deborah K Mwesigwa, the General Manager in charge of commercial business at Sanlam underscored the role of ESG for insurers.
“We strongly believe in the principle of ESG as a mechanism of not only promoting sustainable development but also adding value to the industry and also the society and the planet as a whole,” she said.
The spokesperson of the Uganda Insurers Association, Philip Higiro said the conference will offer a great opportunity to share ideas on how to grow the insurance sector.
The conference, he said, is one of the most anticipated events in the insurance industry and it promises to be a dynamic delivering platform for local and international industry leaders, experts, and professionals to delve into thought-provoking discussions, networking opportunities, and valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the insurance sector.
The conference will be graced by the State Minister for Agriculture, Bright Rwamirama whereas Greg Coleman, the founder and Managing Director of Future Energy Partners based in England will be the keynote speaker.
This will be the first time the conference is held outside Kampala.