SBP allows $-denominated insurance policies

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has allowed resident insurance companies to issue US dollar-denominated insurance policies to meet the condition of foreign lenders for foreign currency loans.
According to FE Circular No. 10 of 2017, issued on Wednesday, a insurance company will be required to get prior approval from the SBP through Authorized Dealers for issuance of US dollar-denominated insurance policy. Chapter 15 of the Foreign Exchange Manual-2017 already allowed Authorized Dealers to issue PKR insurance cover in Pakistan, it added.
According to SBP, it has now been decided to allow resident insurance companies, rated at least as "A" by any approved rating agency of Pakistan, to issue US dollar-denominated insurance policies on notional basis to meet the condition of foreign lenders for foreign currency loans to be raised under Para 8, Chapter 19 of Foreign Exchange Manual or for the projects undertaken in Pakistan as part of bilateral agreement between government of Pakistan and a foreign country/multilateral agency.
However, the insurance company intending to issue US dollar-denominated insurance policy will submit an application for prior approval to the Director, Exchange Policy Department State Bank through an Authorized Dealer along with an explicit recommendation letter from the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for each proposal.
As per the terms and conditions the insurance company will receive the premium from the applicant only in equivalent PKR and the payment of claim to the resident company will be made in equivalent PKR, wherever applicable. The insurance company will have the option to get reinsurance from any foreign reinsurer up to 99 percent of the sum assured.
The payment of reinsurance premium by the insurance company will be subject to observance of all applicable rules, regulations as defined under Chapter 15 of the Foreign Exchange Manual and those issued from time to time, the SBP said. The reinsurance claims to the extent of outstanding liability related to the foreign loans may be paid directly to the foreign lenders by reinsurers. The remaining amount of reinsurance claim will, however, be repatriated into Pakistan and paid to the claimant in equivalent PKR. The insurance policy document/instrument issued by the resident insurance company to the concerned client must disclose as per the SBP clauses.
The SBP has advised Authorized Dealers to bring the above contents to the notice of all their constituents in order to ensure meticulous compliance. All other terms and conditions will remain unchanged.