The implementation of the Law on Insurance Business

29/11/2016
The Government has just issued Decree detailing the implementation of the Law on Insurance Business and the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Insurance Business.
This Decree details and guides the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Insurance Business and the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Insurance Business, including:The establishment and operation of life insurance businesses, non-life insurance businesses, health insurance businesses and reinsurance businesses (below collectively referred to as insurance businesses), branches of foreign non-life insurance businesses (below referred to as foreign branches), insurance brokerage businesses, insurance agents, cross-border insurance service providers, representative offices of foreign insurance businesses or insurance brokerage businesses, and funds for the protection of the insured; The financial management regime applicable to insurance businesses, foreign branches and insurance brokerage businesses.
* Conditions for the establishment of an insurance limited liability company:
In addition to the general conditions prescribed in Article 6 of this Decree, a member that wishes to contribute capital for the establishment of an insurance limited liability company must be an organization and meet the following conditions:
a/ For a foreign organization:
- Being a foreign insurance business that has been permitted by a competent foreign agency to operate in the business line expected to be conducted in Vietnam, or being a subsidiary of a foreign insurance business which specializes in making offshore investment and is authorized by the foreign insurance business to contribute capital to establish an insurance business in Vietnam;
- Having operated for at least 10 years in the business line expected to be conducted in Vietnam;
- Having total assets worth at least USD 2 billion in the year preceding the year of submission of a dossier of application for a license;
- Having not committed any serious violation of the regulations on insurance business and other regulations of the country where the organization’s head office is located for 3 consecutive years preceding the year of submission of a dossier of application for a license.
b/ For a Vietnamese organization:
- Being an enterprise operating in the field of finance, banking or insurance;
- Having total assets worth at least VND 2 trillion in the year preceding the year of submission of a dossier of application for a license.
* Conditions for establishment of an insurance joint-stock company:
In addition to the general conditions prescribed in Article 6 of this Decree, a to-be-established insurance joint-stock company must meet the following conditions:
a/ Having at least 2 institutional founding shareholders that meet the conditions prescribed in Clause 1, Article 7 of this Decree and jointly hold at least 20% of shares of the to-be-established company;
b/ Within 3 years after the company obtains a license, the founding shareholders must jointly hold at least 50% of the company’s ordinary shares eligible to be sold.
This Decree takes effect on July 1, 2016. The Government’s Decree No. 45/2007/ND-CP of March 27, 2007, detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Insurance Business; Decree No. 123/2011/ND-CP of December 28, 2011, detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Insurance Business and amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 45/2007/ND-CP of March 27, 2007; Decree No. 68/2014/ND-CP of July 9, 2014, amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 45/2007/ND-CP of March 27, 2007, and Decree No. 46/2007/ND-CP of March 27, 2007, prescribing the financial regime applicable to insurance businesses and insurance brokerage businesses, cease to be effective on the date this Decree takes effect.