May 19 2009, 11:56 AM, updated 17y ago
Cheaper to renew directly if premiums are raised
PETALING JAYA: Policyholders will be able to buy or renew their motor insurance policies directly with insurance companies at a discount if the proposal by insurance companies to raise motor premiums is approved, according to industry sources.
It is learnt that Bank Negara is in discussion with motor insurance players and has requested them to provide discounts if it decides to approve a hike in motor insurance premiums as requested by the industry due to rising motor insurance claims.
A 30-year veteran of the insurance industry told StarBiz the move would allow policyholders an option to either walk in and buy directly over the counter at a discount from insurers or they could buy through their agents, whereby they would have to pay a 10% commission.
Subject to approval from the central bank, the rate of discount being studied at the moment is 5% in the first year and 10% in the second year and thereafter, in addition to benefits like the no claims bonus (NCB), according to the source.
The first year discount is limited to new motor policies and the subsequent ones are for renewals, he added.
The General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) has declined to comment on the matter.
Insurers had been persistently asking Bank Negara to raise motor premiums since the last one took effect in 1978, citing higher motor claims, surging vehicle thefts and the rising cost of automotive repairs.
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Association secretary-general and chief executive Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said the move to allow consumers to buy motor policies over the counter was laudable as it would eliminate abuses by agents.
“Many people buying or renewing motor or non-motor policies are forced by their agents to buy other general insurance products which are unrelated. “This is something which we view as an abuse by agents and (it is) forced selling.
“We support this proposal as it will benefit consumers and check the growing abuses by agents,’’ Muhammad Sha’ani said.
But the industry source said the move to allow customers to buy motor insurance policies directly at a discount from insurance companies would affect the income of agents and their staff.
“There are about 40,000 general insurance agents in the country, of which 15,000 are full-time agents.
“On average, each agent or agency employs between three and 30 people.
“By allowing customers to buy or renew motor policies at a discount, it will erode the income of more than 50,000 employees of insurance agents, which will cause them to be unemployed,” he said.
An agent who declined to be named said agents helped in the penetration of insurance in remote and rural areas where there were limited insurance branches.
“Apart from selling insurance, we also provide claims management and monitoring of claims on behalf of customers.
“Unless the central bank has specific plans to redeploy the unemployed staff, it is going to worsen the current economic situation,” he said.
Some of the leading motor insurance insurers in the country are Kurnia Insurans (with a market share of more than 20%), AmAssurance, Allianz Malaysia Bhd and Tokio Marine.
Allianz General Insurance Company (M) Bhd chief executive Ng Hang Ming said in an e-mail reply that his company had “not received any directive to revise motor premiums upwards.”
“To date, we have not received any directive on this issue of rebate to direct customers. In respect of commission to agents, it still remains unchanged at 10%,’’ Ng said.
what are we agent going to eat? common man there are 40k agents in the country... do they plan to just rethrech them like this? and 15k of them like me are full time agents... phew... sob2...
Added on May 19, 2009, 12:01 pmPETALING JAYA: Come July 1, car owners who buy motor insurance directly from insurance companies without using the services of an agent will qualify for mandatory rebates, a move that could render agents redundant.
The move would see new customers being given a 5% rebate on their insurance if they buy it via channels such as the Internet, telemarketing, direct mailing or by walking into the insurance company. These customers would also get a 10% rebate for renewals in the second year.
In a circular sent to the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) dated April 17, Bank Negara said the rebates would only apply to actual owners of the vehicles.
The circular added that Bank Negara had “no objections” to PIAM’s proposal for the mandatory rebates. This is understood to mean that the move would more likely be implemented than not.
Veteran insurance agent Hardyal Singh hit out at PIAM, saying the association did not take the views of 40,000 agents (15,000 of them full-time) into consideration.
“It will clearly affect the livelihood of the agents. Full-time agents hire at least three to 30 employees at their agencies and these people will also be affected.
“Our main source of income is the 10% commission, so the 10% rebate is actually our commission being given to the customer. It offers no benefit to the insurance company but instead creates a socio-economic crisis by making people jobless.”
Hardyal, who was formerly Perak General Insurance Agents Association president, said he would be forming an ad hoc committee with some larger agents in Kuala Lumpur to speak out more on the matter.
It is understood that the circular was the outcome of correspondence and meetings between PIAM and Bank Negara on the association’s proposals towards self-regulation of the industry.
In the circular, the central bank said the rationale for mandatory rebates was to “promote the promulgation of alternative channels of distribution so as to increase the penetration of insurance to the masses”.
An industry source said the industry was heavily regulated, especially towards the ability of insurance companies to reward agents, and that PIAM’s proposals were for Bank Negara to allow some self-regulation.
“When Bank Negara came back to the table, it seemed that they were saying if insurance companies were willing to reward agents, then they could also provide this benefit to policyholders.”
The source added that the central bank’s move could be seen as a way to reduce the number of part-time agents but said full-time agents would now have to work harder and think up new ways to get business.
Consumer advocate Billy Toh said he was strongly against the move as he felt that agents could still play a role by explaining the insurance policy details to customers.
However, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association secretary-general Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said “the move would reduce the opportunity for agents who try to get customers to buy other types of insurance together with motor insurance.”
This post has been edited by balwr: May 19 2009, 12:01 PM
Motor insurance discount plan..., i strongly disagree with the plan...
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