ASSESSMENT OF PROFITABILITY OF MOTOR INSURANCE IN THE CASE OF NICE INSURANCE S.C

Abstract

The study is intended to assess profitability of motor insurance, especially the comprehensive cover, which registered negative results during the fiscal years 2008/2009-2010/2011. The study focused on the comprehensive motor insurance cover. This is mainly due to the fact that the management and technical operation of comprehensive cover falls under the discretion of each insurance company. Mixed research approach was used to investigate why motor account was not profitable for National Insurance Company of Ethiopia. The researcher used both primary and secondary sources of data to undertake the study. The primary source consists of information that is gathered through structured questionnaire, focus group discussion and interview method from the sample choosen. In general eleven out of twenty underwriters were interviewed. However, with regard to focus group discussion the study units are limited to those who have direct exposure and involvement on underwriting and claims operations in the company. The data analysis technique was descriptive method. Charts and tables were used in order to analyze the primary and secondary source of data( i.e financial data of NICE). Generally it is found that the negative performance of motor class of business during the period from 2008/2009 to 2010/2011 was attributed, in one way or another, to inadequate pricing, failure to avoid acceptance of accident prone vehicles for comprehensive cover, claims management problem, failure to control unnecessary acquisition costs and un proportional charge of the motor account by management expense. Therefore, strict compliance to the directive issued with respect to minimum rate, avoidance to accept ISUSU(NPR, FSR) and MISSAN UD vehicles for comprehensive cover, reorganization of the claims department, putting in place control mechanism to minimize unnecessary acquisition costs, and adopting an accounting practice of charging the revenue account with only direct management expenses are suggested to improve performance of the motor account.