Foreigners will need to have insurance for entry to Ukraine as soon as international flights are resumed, Health Minister of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov has said during a press briefing in Kyiv.
A possibility of testing the passengers for coronavirus (COVID-19) is also being considered.
“Speaking about border crossing and the resumption of international flights scheduled for June 15, we jointly with the Infrastructure Ministry suggest introducing the ‘red’ and ‘green’ zones. The ‘red’ zone will include the countries where the epidemiological situation is worse than in Ukraine, the ‘green’ one is [the countries] with a better situation. The ‘green’ zone foresees observation and self-isolation. In addition, we are considering a possibility of testing, but only by medical workers. At the same time, those who arrive in Ukraine must be insured. We are working on all of these issues,” Stepanov said.
Insurance companies of Ukraine in January-March 2020 paid insurance premiums in the amount of UAH 2.78 billion under insurance risk reinsurance contracts, which is 37.4% or UAH 1.66 billion less than in the same period in 2019, member of the National Commission for the State Regulation of Financial Services Markets Oleksandr Zaletov has told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, despite the fact that in the first quarter of 2020, net insurance premiums compared to the same period in 2019 increased by a mere 1.8%, to UAH 9.85 billion, the situation in the reinsurance market has changed.
Firstly, cooperation with international reinsurers has intensified. So non-resident reinsurers were paid UAH 884 million, which is 12.6% or UAH 98.9 million more than in the same period in 2019 (UAH 785.3 million for the first quarter of 2019). In the first quarter of 2020, as before, predominantly reinsurance is carried out in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The most actively cooperating with Ukraine in the field of reinsurance were insurers and specialized reinsurers from Germany, which accounted for 19.7% of the premiums in this segment, as well as Austria (19.4%), the UK (14.6%), and Poland (12.4%), France (7.2%), Switzerland (5.6%), Italy (3.9%), the Czech Republic (3.8%), the United States (3%) and Belgium (2.4%), and the rest accounted for less than 2%.
In January-March 2020, non-resident reinsurers made insurance payments in the amount of UAH 473 million, which is 62.2% or UAH 181 million more than in the same period in 2019 (UAH 292 million for the first quarter of 2019). A significant share was held by reinsurers from the Czech Republic (31.2%), Germany (24.3%), Poland (17.6%), Great Britain (9%), Austria (7.6%), France (2.4%), and Italy (2.4%), the rest less than 2%.
Secondly, there were significant reductions in operations in the domestic reinsurance market. So, in the first quarter of 2020, resident reinsurers were paid insurance premiums in the amount of UAH 1.89 billion, which is 48.3% less compared to the same period in 2019 (UAH 3.65 billion for the first quarter of 2019).
The National Commission for the State Regulation of Financial Services Markets, on April 9, entered the information on double liability company Gestalt Group (Kyiv) into the public register of financial institutions, the commission has said on its website.
According to the unified public register of legal entities and private entrepreneurs, the company was registered in February 2019 with charter capital of UAH 34 million. It specializes in risk insurance and reinsurance.
The founders of the company were Gestalt Finance LLC (Kyiv) with contribution of UAH 33.660 million, PrJSC Arton-Megacity, Andriy Antonenko and Yuriy Khandashko, who is also the head of the company.
According to the public register of legal entities and private entrepreneurs, Gestalt Finance LLC was registered in March 2019 with charter capital of UAH 10,000. The founder is PrJSC Arton-Megacity and Antonenko.
Ukrainian insurance companies in 2019 received UAH 21.632 billion in insurance premiums from individuals, which is 17.4%, or UAH 3.201 billion, more than in 2018, Oleksandr Zaletov, a member of the National Commission for the State Regulating the Financial Services Market, has told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, in 2019 the top ten most popular insurance services among the Ukrainian population included life insurance with UAH 4.491 billion (20.8% more), OSAGO insurance with UAH 4.297 billion (11.9% more), KASKO insurance with UAH 4.280 billion (18.9% more), medical insurance with UAH 1.624 billion (24.3% more), accident insurance with UAH 1.392 billion (9.3% more), insurance in the Green Card system with UAH 1.316 billion (36.5% more), property insurance with UAH 1.214 million (8.5% more), insurance of tourists with UAH 1.187 billion (52.1% more), health insurance with UAH 595 million (37.7% more) and financial risk insurance with UAH 436 million (20.4% more).
In his opinion, the growth of insurance services provision to the population, unlike the previous years, is not due to exchange rate differences, but, first of all, to the growing demand for insurance among citizens who travel actively, take care of their health and their loved ones, and also think about providing “financial airbag” in the old age. Thus, for example, in 2019 the number of insured under life insurance programs increased by 52.4%, under travel insurance by 49.3%, under the Green Card system by 50.3%, under KASKO by 67.2%, voluntary insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability by 39.9%.
He also said that in 2019 insurance companies made insurance payments to the population in the amount of UAH 6.618 billion, which is 11.9%, or UAH 705 million more than in 2018.
The number of Green Card international insurance contracts signed by the member companies of the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (MTIBU) increased by 21.72% in January-February 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, to more than 59,536.
According to the MTIBU’s website, the amount of accrued insurance premiums for the indicated period decreased by 10.93% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 271 million.
At the same time, the amount of compensation paid on claims increased by 2.1 times, to EUR 2.704 million, while the number of claims paid by 87.7%, to 1,115.
The MTIBU is the only association of insurers that carry out compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability for harm caused to third parties.
The number of Green Card international insurance contracts signed by the member companies of the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (MTIBU) increased by 43.23% in January-November 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, to more than one million.
According to the MTIBU’s website, the amount of accrued insurance premiums for the specified period increased by 28.05% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 1.541 billion.
At the same time, the amount of compensation paid on claims rose by 30.26%, to EUR 13.664 million, while the number of claims paid grew by 14.14%, to 5,296.
The MTIBU is the only association of insurers that carry out compulsory insurance of vehicle owners’ civil liability for damage caused to third parties.
