•Net profit down 55 percent as total income grows 14 percent to Sh4.56 billion
•The Covid-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions leads to a decline in premium
Image: /COURTESY
A tough operating environment, coupled with a surge in claims due to Covid-19, saw AAR Insurance Kenya’s overall performance decline by 55 percent to Sh 234 million last year.
This is compared to Sh517 million in 2019.
Profit-before-tax also declined from Sh 756 million to Sh 317 million in the same period.
Gross written premiums, representing the company’s revenue, declined marginally by 3 percent from Sh5.86 billion to Sh 5.68 billion.
However, net earned premiums grew 19.7 percent to Sh 3.74 billion as total income also increased 14.6 percent to Sh 4.56 billion.
Net claims and policyholders’ benefits rose 54.2 percent to Sh 2.59 billion from Sh 1.68 billion the previous financial year, with the company paying out close to Sh200 million in Covid-19 claims in 2020, signaling the harsh financial impact of the pandemic on health insurers.
AAR Insurance Kenya Managing Director, Nixon Shigoli, attributes the surge in claims to Covid-19 impact on business and families.
“2020 was an extremely challenging financial year given the sudden shocks of the new coronavirus health crisis which significantly affected our bottom line given impact on many employers and families,” explained Shigoli.
Total assets grew by 4% to close the year at Sh 5 billion while shareholders’ funds increased to Sh 1.3 billion from Sh 1.1 billion in 2019.
Management expenses ratio improved from 35% in 2019 to 30% in 2020 despite an increase in operating expenses by 3% due to costs incurred in cushioning staff and customers against the pandemic.
“Currently, 80 per cent of our staff are working from home. We have taken measures to ensure minimum disruption to our business while at the same time ensuring the health and safety of our customers,” he said.
Going forward, AAR Insurance is banking on accelerated digitization of its operations to improve efficiency and drive growth of its business.
Covid-19, according to Shigoli, has amplified the importance of digital transformation in insurance.
“The biggest winner is digitization. We are seeing increased use of digital platforms partly due to COVID-19 limiting in-person contact between clients and service providers. However, convenience is also a driving factor especially for tech-savvy consumers seeking real-time solutions to their insurance needs,” he explained.
He added that the insurer has automated most of its services leading to improved efficiency, faster turnaround times and a better customer experience.