An official ceremony was organised, yesterday in Ebène, by the Insurance Industry Compensation Fund (IICF), which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Financial Services and Good Governance, to compensate a group of hit and run road traffic accidents victims whose claims have been acceded to.
The ceremony also aimed at reassuring victims and the public in general that they can count on the support of the Ministry and the IICF in times of hardship. Some 26 beneficiaries (two from Rodrigues) received their cheques, for a total amount of Rs 3.1 million, under the Hit and Run Sub Fund on this occasion.
The Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun; the Chairperson of the IICF, Me Kivisha Goodar; and other personalities attended the ceremony.
In his address, Minister Seeruttun recalled that the decision of setting up this fund was taken by Government back in 2015 so as to assist victims of hit and run road traffic accidents. The Fund, he highlighted, is managed by a Committee which works in collaboration with the Mauritius Police Force and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, amongst others.
The Minister underscored that victims who are eligible for a compensation are determined under three categories, namely: inpatient victim; outpatient victim; and victim deceased following an accident. He thus reiterated Government’s commitment to try and alleviate victims of hit and run accidents, as well as their families.
In this vein, underlined Minister Seeruttun, Government, in the last budgetary exercise, decided to double the amount of compensation due to the cost of treatment and the cost of living. He moreover dwelt on the recent Road Safety campaign launched by the Prime Minister’s Office in a bid to sensitise both drivers and pedestrians on the importance of becoming more responsible on the road.
As for Me Goodar, she observed that latest statistics show an increase in the number of hit and run accidents. For instance, she stated, 132 cases were reported in 2022 as compared to 116 cases in 2021.
Furthermore, she indicated that, since its creation in 2016, the IICF has received around 100 claims, out of which 92 cases have been determined as eligible for a compensation totalling some Rs 12 million. She also informed that the possibility of providing allowances to the victims’ family members is also being explored.
It is recalled that, in the last Budget, the highest amount of compensation which used to be Rs 700,000 has doubled to Rs 1.5 Million for victims of hit and run road accidents. The Insurance Act has also been amended to enable the IICF to provide for appropriate allowances to victims of hit and run road accidents.
