On 18th May 2016 Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India issued revised guidelines on corporate governance for insurance companies. In last post we discussed these guidelines in brief. In this post, we will briefly discuss, Board Committees for insurance companies as mentioned in these guidelines.
Discussion in this post is in continuation of the discussion about these committees in last post.
Audit Committee (Mandatory)
Every Insurer shall constitute an Audit Committee as per Section 177 of the Companies Act, 2013. Every Insurer shall constitute an Audit Committee as per Section 177 of the Companies Act, 2013. The Committee shall act as a Compliance Committee to discuss the level of compliance in the Company and any associated risks and to monitor and report to the Board on any significant compliance breaches. Act as a Compliance Committee to discuss the level of compliance in the Company and any associated risks and to monitor and report to the Board on any significant compliance breaches.
Investment Committee
The Board of every Insurer shall set up an Investment Committee comprising of at least two Non-Executive Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief of Finance, Chief of Investment, Chief Risk Officer and, the Appointed Actuary. The Committee shall be responsible to recommend investment policy and lay down the operational framework for the investment operations of the insurer. The investment policy and operational framework should, inter alia, encompass aspects concerning liquidity for smooth operations, compliance with prudential regulatory norms on investments, risk management / mitigation strategies to ensure commensurate yield on investments and above all protection of policyholders’ funds. The Investment Committee shall be responsible for implementing the Investment Policy duly approved by the Board. The Committee shall formulate an effective reporting system to ensure compliance with the policy set out by it apart from Internal /Concurrent Audit mechanisms for a sustained and ongoing monitoring of Investment Operations. The Committee shall meet at least once in a quarter to review investment operations and submit a report to the Board on the performance of the investment portfolio with regard to its safety and soundness.
Risk Management Committee
In pursuit of development of a strong risk management system and mitigation strategies, insurers shall set up a separate Risk Management Committee to implement the company’s Risk Management Strategy. The risk management function should be under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) with a clearly defined role. It shall be organized in such a way that it is able to monitor all the risks across the various lines of business of the company and the operating head has direct access to the Board. Among other this committee shall review compliance with the guidelines on Insurance Fraud Monitoring Framework dated 21st January, 2013, issued by IRDA.
Policyholder Protection Committee
With a view to addressing the various compliance issues relating to protection of the interests of policyholders, as also relating to keeping the policyholders well informed of and educated about insurance products and complaint-handling procedures, each insurer shall set up a Policyholder Protection Committee. The committee shall be headed by a Non-Executive Director and shall include an expert/representative of customers as an invitee to enable insurers to formulate policies and assess compliance thereof. The Committee shall recommend a policy on customer education for approval of the Board and ensure proper implementation of the same. The Committee should put in place systems to ensure that policyholders have access to redressal mechanisms and shall establish policies and procedures, for the creation of a dedicated unit to deal with customer complaints and resolve disputes expeditiously.
The Board shall review the status report on policyholders’ protection issues, submitted by the Committee, in each of its meeting.
Nomination and Remuneration Committee
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee shall be constituted in line with the provisions of Section 178 of the Companies Act, 2013.
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee shall scrutinize the declarations of intending applicants before the appointment/reappointment/election of directors by the shareholders at the General Meetings. The Committee shall also scrutinize the applications and details submitted by the aspirants for appointment as the Key Management Persons.
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 requires constitution of a CSR Committee if certain conditions as mentioned in the said Section are fulfilled. For Indian Insurance Companies, a CSR Committee is required to be set up if the insurance company earns a Net Profit of Rs. 5 Crores or more during the preceding financial year.
With Profits Committee
The Authority has issued IRDA (Non-Linked Insurance Products) Regulations 2013, which lay down the framework about the With Profit Fund Management and Asset sharing, among other things. In terms of these Regulations, every Insurer transacting life insurance business shall constitute a With Profits Committee comprising of an Independent Director, the CEO, The Appointed Actuary and an independent Actuary. The Committee shall meet as often as is required to transact the business and carry out the functions of determining the following:
- the share of assets attributable to the policyholders
- the investment income attributable to the participating fund of policyholders
- the expenses allocated to the policyholders
The report of the With Profits Committee in respect of the above matters should be attached to the Actuarial Report and Abstract furnished by the insurers to the Authority. The Board of an insurer shall ensure that any other stipulations regarding the constitution and/ or functioning of the With Profits Committee as indicated in the Regulations made by the Authority from time to time shall be complied with at all times.
Other Committee
The Board may have Ethics Committee, Assets Liability Committee and other committees. Once Board establishes Ethics Committee or Assets Liability Committee, these guidelines shall be applicable in respect of these committees.
Please note: This blog invite readers to share their comments, suggestions, hardship, queries and everything in comment section. This blog post is not a professional advice but just a knowledge sharing initiative for mutual discussion.
AishMGhrana 