In the first five months of the year, total income from insurance premiums in Costa Rica added up to $682 million, registering an increase of 6% compared to the same period in 2017.
Between January and May of this year, growth of mandatory insurance was mainly due to the 14% increase registered in occupational risk premiums, according to a report by the General Superintendence of Insurance.
Growth in Personal Accident and Individual Life policies accounted for most of the 12% growth recorded during the fifth month of the year in the Dominican Republic.
In May, compared to 2017, the lines that reported the highest growth were: Bonds, 132%; Personal Accident, 41%; and Individual Life, 34%, reported the Superintendency of Insurance.
In Costa Rica, only the state insurer and Oceánica de Seguros presented proposals for the tender of the Social Security Fund's all-risk insurance service, estimated at more than $2 billion.
Taking part in the process to award a contract for a policy to protect all of the buildings, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise and even the collection of works of art and books and magazines owned by the Social Security department, were the National Insurance Institute (Instituto Nacional de Seguros or INS) and Oceánica de Seguros.
In Panama during the first four months of the year $491 million was written in premiums, which is 3% more than the $375 million reported in the same period in 2017.
Statistics from the Superintendency of Insurance show that during the first four months of 2018, the three insurance companies that wrote the largest proportion of these premiums were Assa Compañía de Seguros, Compañía Internacional de Seguros and Mapfre Panamá, with 20%, 17%, and 16%, respectively.
According to the union of insurers in El Salvador, between January and March net premiums totalled $149 million, 2% less than the $152 million reported in the same period in 2017.
After registering a modest 2% growth between 2016 and 2017, representatives of the Salvadoran Insurance Association (ASES) reported that during the first quarter of the year a 2% drop in contracted premiums was reported, compared to the months from January to March 2017.
Growth in policies for health and boats and aircrafts accounted for most of the 19% growth recorded in the first quarter of the year.
Data from the Superintendency of Insurance indicates that during the third month of the year the agricultural and livestock sector registered an increase of 64% compared to March 2017, followed by health insurance, whose premiums increased by 27%.
As of December 31, 2017, insurance companies counted $616 million in premiums and generated $38 million in profits.
As of December 31, 2017, Insurance Companies' net premiumsamounted to US $616,142,801.55 and profits were US $38,401,974.41, the latter generated a Return on Equity (ROE) at the system level of 9.88%.
The Superintendence of Competition has authorized the purchase of Davivienda Vida Seguros by the Honduran company Inversiones Atlántida.
A statement issued by the Superintendence of Competition (SC) indicates that the purchase of the insurer Davivienda Vida Seguros, S.A., Seguros de Personas (Davivienda Vida), was made through the Salvadoran subsidiary of Grupo Atlántida,Inversiones Financieras Atlántida, S.A.
The Ministry of Communications in Guatemala is putting out to tender insurance policy for vehicles, fixed constructions, electronic equipment, machinery and civil liability of the institution.
Guatemala Government Purchase 7715919:
"The validity of the policies begins from January 2, 2019 at 0:00 hours and will end on December 31 of the year 2019 at 0:00 hours.
With the acquisition of the Italian insurer Generali, the participation of Assa Compañía de Seguros amounts to almost a quarter of the Panamanian insurance market.
Assa Compañía de Seguros confirmed in recent days that thepurchase transaction ofthe insurance portfolio, other assets and obligations of the Assicurazioni Generali Branch of Panama, for $172 million, was approved by the Italian and Panamanian authorities.
Explained by the behavior of the Costa Rican market, in 2017 Central American insurers received $5.02 billion in premiums, 7% more than in 2016.
According to a report drawn up by Revista Desempeño Asegurador, in 2017 "... insurance sales in the region expressed an absolute increase of US $334.7 million, an amount that represented a rise of 7.1% compared to sales in 2016."
Projections are that this year growth of the Central American insurance sector will be driven by activities in the markets of Costa Rica and Guatemala.
From the report "Prospects 2018: Insurance Sector in Central America" by Fitch Ratings:
Stable Rating Perspective:The rating outlook for the Central Americaninsurancesectoris stable for 2018, given that most of the rated companies maintain a stable outlook on an individual basis.Fitch Ratings believes that the sector shows stable fundamentals, as a result of good profitability levels and high liquidity and capitalization indicators in all countries, which it expects to continue to be reflected in solid balance sheets in companies.
Explained in part by the increase registered in mandatory insurance, last year income from premiums in Costa Rica added up to $1.323 billion, 15% more than in 2016.
Costa Rican authorities reported that last year the largest increase was recorded in mandatory types of insurance, with interannual increases of 26% (¢28.4 billion) in Occupational Hazards and 18% (¢7.5 billion) in the Obligatory Automotive.As a result, this category gained a 1.9 pp share with respect to voluntary insurance categories.
In Honduras, contracts are being sought for one year insurance policies to cover the vehicle fleets of the Ministry of Finance and the National Autonomous University.
Honduras Government Purchase LPN 03-2018-SEAF-UNAH:
"Provision of an insurance policy for several motor vehicles belonging to the National Autonomous University of Honduras, for coverage from April 2018 to April 2019."
The National Vocational Training Institute in Honduras is putting out to tender collective insurance of medical and living expenses for its personnel, and insurance for buildings, equipment and the vehicle fleet.