Oct 16 2023, 08:47
Big tax blow to insurers will make Indian cos & banks lose:
New cover story: 30% commission cap likely in
credit life policies
Many insurance companies have come under scrutiny for the payment of overriding commissions to banks and intermediaries, in addition to regular commissions.
Companies are close to agreeing to impose a 30% cap on commissions paid to corporate agencies, including banks and non-banking financial companies, for credit life policies, said people with knowledge of the matter.
The matter has been discussed in Life Insurance Council meetings over the past few months, said two persons privy to the information. While the council has not sent a formal letter yet, talks are at an advanced stage to put in place self- regulation, they said.
the insurance regulator had announced the IRDAI (Payment of Commission) Regulations, which moved away from the traditional product- specific commission structure and placed an overall cap on expenses within insurance companies, and asked insurance companies to manage operations within an overall expense limit of 30%. While insurers were allowed to pay 5% on commissions until March, they often resorted to paying hefty overriding commissions of 30-35% or even higher to gain market share.
"The regulator, while issuing the guidelines, talked about protecting consumers' interests on insurance policies and the associated commissions. So, while the regulator moved away from rule- based approach to principal-based, it may not intervene but expect industry to impose self-discipline," the CEO of a mid-sized insurance company said on condition of anonymity.
Many insurance companies have come under scrutiny for the payment of overriding commissions to banks and intermediaries, in addition to regular commissions. This practice has raised concerns about potential exploitation and an increase in management expenses within the insurance industry.
The investigation revealed that insurance companies were covering the employee costs of banks through intermediaries, which were not transparently represented in their financial records, resulting in non- disclosure and potential violations of tax laws.
source:et
Oct 17 2023, 09:24