Insurance regulator Irdai today said an increase in the third-party motor premium is inevitable next financial year to take care of the health of the service providers.
Third-party motor premium is the only segment in the general insurance sector that's still regulated. In the recently released exposure draft on the topic, Irdai proposed a 50 per cent hike in the third-party motor premium.
"We have already come up with an exposure draft on this for which we are seeking opinion from various stakeholders. Hike in the third-party motor premium is inevitable. The quantum of the increase depends on what feedback we receive from the stakeholders," Irdai chairman TS Vijayan said here at a Ficci event.
Backing a hike in the third-party motor premium, he said, "insurance is all about pooling and claim amount keeps varying. If there is a fixed compensation the premium is safe but that is not the case with third-party motor premium, therefore the need to increase the same."
Whether the regulator will accept ITI Re's demand that it should also get the obligatory cess falling on the lines of GIC Re, he answered in the affirmative.
"Being a domestic reinsurer, ITI Re is eligible to enjoy obligatory cess. The only thing that the company will have to show its financial strength to become eligible for availing the facility," Vijayan said.
Obligatory cess is percentage of premium income that general insurers mandatorily pay to re-insurer. Currently this is 5 per cent, down from 20 per cent some years ago.
ITI Re is the only the domestic applicant that has been given the final approval by Irdai to begin operations in the country. Along with it five foreign players also got the final approval to begin branch operations in the country.
Even though the sector has been opened up to private and foreign competition, the Irdai has not extended the obligatory cess to foreign players who have got the licence.
Currently the state-run GIC Re is the reinsurer in the country and industry pays this obligatory cess.
Irdai has made it clear that Fairfax, a Canadian firm promoted by NRI investor Prem Watsa, which has got secondary level of approval to launch a separate non-life venture, has been asked to reduce its stake in ICICI Lombard to under 10 per cent from 36 per cent now.
Fairfax is planning a non-life entity in partnership
with domestic firm Oben Insurance. Lombard has an existing joint venture ICICI Lombard in which it holds 36 per cent.
"We have asked Fairfax to reduce its stake in ICICI Lombard below 10 per cent before it floats a new general insurance venture," Vijayan said, adding, "Fairfax can continue to be a foreign investor in ICICI Lombard by reducing its stake to under 10 per cent if it wants to go ahead with its proposed new venture."
Any investment below 10 per cent by a foreign insurer is treated as a financial investment and the company is allowed to have more than 26 per cent in another company.
Vijayan hinted that the regulator is ready to make necessary changes in the regulations in case the insurers are ready to come out with innovative products.
"If the insurers are ready to go for innovative products, we are ready to make necessary changes in the regulations," he said.
On the reported reservations about the deal structure in the proposed merger of Max Life Insurance with HDFC Life, he said, "it's still work in progress. The two companies are working on the concerns we had raised.
