The Executive Committees of the Accident Management Association (AMA) and the National Association of Credit Hire Operators (NACHO) have agreed proposals to merge and have recommended acceptance to their respective memberships.This would provide one association to represent and promote the credit hire/credit repair market with at least 65 full members and 25 associate members. Members are expected to account for 90% of the market. It is hoped that some CHOs that are currently not in AMA or NACHO will decide to join.

Tony Baker, AMA Director General, commented:

“We have been working on the merger proposal for some time now. The level of co-operation, the spirit of co-operation and the clarity of agreement on areas of policy and principles between NACHO and AMA has galvanized the two Executive Committees.”  

Ralph Ferguson, NACHO Chairman, added:

“With the recent corporate governance changes introduced within the GTA, this merger is absolutely the right thing for both the industry and for all of our members.” 

There will be a short consultation period with the expectation of working to complete all aspects of the merger in the next three months, with the new association operating fully with effect from 1 June. In the meantime the two associations will continue to work very closely together.

The initial, key objectives for the new association are proposed as:

• A commercial initiative(s) to try and remove frictional costs from the GTA to the mutual benefit of insurers and CHOs and to help ensure CHOs retained more responsibility for their own destiny.

• Initiatives to deliver a speeding up of GTA payments by insurers to improve CHO cash flow.

• Improved performance in the GTA Technical Committee and a successful implementation of the new governance arrangements.

• Speedy and successful resolution of the 2010 GTA rate review.

The Chairman for the new association will be elected from members of the AMA and NACHO Executive Committees. It is proposed that Tony Baker (Currently Director general, AMA) should be the Director General with Barry Bromley (currently Secretary, NACHO) Membership Secretary.

-ENDS -

Enquiries to:

AMA - Tony Baker (01920 465000 / 07725 462 528)

NACHO - Ralph Ferguson (01827 319416/ 07733 002 003)