Still Afloat

Union Assurance Ltd closed the fiscal year 2004 with a Rs. 60 mn loss after the recent tsunami washed ashore over 160 insurance claims. Union Assurance Ltd closed the fiscal year 2004 with a Rs. 60 mn loss after the recent tsunami washed ashore over 160 insurance claims. The relatively small insurance firm picked up a hefty Rs. 1.6 bn tab from tsunami related claims, which it says was fully backed by reinsurers.

"Nearly 75 percent of our non-motor general customers had policies that covered earthquakes, so we were able to get adequate reinsurance cover," Marina Tharmaratnam, UAL's CEO said Tuesday.

The company had over 70 life insurance claims and most have been settled to date, she said.

During the year, UAL's gross written premiums rose nine percent to Rs. 2.5 bn and Tharmaratnam says the firm was on target to notch a 28 percent growth, when disaster struck on December 26.

After adjusting for reinsurance, Rs. 187 mn was charged to the income statement, which left the company Rs. 60 mn in the red.

UAL's life fund rose 24 percent to Rs. 3.8 bn during the year under review, but there were no transfer of life surpl