Don't wait for the replyAnia, the association that brings together insurance companies on a national scale, after the Government's decisions on the matter consumer protection and liberalization of the insurance market.
Article 22 of the development-bis decree, in particular, establishes in paragraph 10 that "in order to favor the overcoming of the current segmentation of the insurance market and increase the degree of freedom of the various operators, the insurance intermediaries can adopt forms of reciprocal collaboration in carrying out its activity also through the use of the respective mandates ed even if they act as independent contractors".
In a press release, Ania "strongly criticizes the new rules" on distribution, since "the free collaboration between all intermediaries, envisaged in the provision, far from bringing benefits to consumers, will cause damage in terms of increased costs of policies and reduction in the quality of service to policyholders".
According to Ania, the creation of a deregulated market in which "agents will be allowed to place products of companies other than those from which they have received a mandate" could lead to "an increase in distribution costs". "It is no coincidence - continues the press release - in no other country in the world there is a regulation of this type, an unacceptable and penalizing regulation for Italian companies, which would find themselves seriously disadvantaged in international competition, as foreign competitors could enter our country without incurring the costs of creating the network".
The new regulation, in fact, provides that the distribution network (even in the case of agents sole agents) drives greater competition between companies, favoring the marketing of insurance products of different brands in points of sale. Any rules in conflict with the provisions of the decree are also automatically abolished.
The novelty introduced, according to Ania, would damage companies, since foreign operators could take advantage of an already existing sales network, which however they have not contributed to preparing with adequate investments: "companies have invested in their agencies in order to be able to create value to offer to the customer and stand out from the competition; unhinging this system undermines the relationship of trust between the agent and the company”.
Ania fears that, no longer being able to benefit exclusively from the sales network, a small or medium-sized insurance company will be discouraged from investing in points of sale, setting up IT networks and staff training. All of this, according to the trade association, would benefit larger companies.
"Italian companies cannot be considered an interlocutor only when it comes to financing the public debt", concludes the statement harshly. The rule, it must be remembered, was inserted by the executive to counter the lack of competition in some areas of the country (especially in the South), which facilitates the maintenance of monopoly profits in the sector.
