HNB Assurance - to grab the North & East business

By Niranji Jayawardena - Sri Lanka insurer says Northern volumes up

May 02, 2010 (LBO) - HNB Assurance, a fast growing insurer says volume expansion in Sri Lanka's north is 'exceptional' as the region recovers from a 30-year war and links are restored with the rest of the island.
"We have seen an exceptional growth in general business in the Northern Region and there are new areas of opportunities for generating new business in this area," HNB Assurance director Rajandran Theagarajah said.

HNB Assurance is owned by Sri Lanka's Hatton National Bank and Theagarajah is the chief executive of the bank.

Officials say general insurance in the north has grown 180 percent in the first quarter of the year.

HNB Assurance started in 2001 and has been a fast growing insurer.

 "From a very modest 12 million rupees of premium raised during the first year we have surpassed 2,100 million of rupees premiums of written in 2009," Theagarajah told the firm's sales team at a convention.

"As a team you have increased your productivity almost eight times during these nine years.

 "In 2009 every one of you has written premiums equivalent to just under four million rupees in comparison to a half a million rupees in the first year."

The company now has 540 staff up from 25 in 2001. HNB Assurance says it was able to grow premium in 2009 despite tough economic conditions.

 "When the market was declined by two percent HNB Assurance was able to grow at a rate of 22 percent," Manjula de Silva, chief executive of HNB Assurance said.

 In the March 2010 quarter profits were up 27 percent from a year earlier to 20.1 million rupees and gross written premium rose 18 percent to 538 million rupees.

source - www.lbo.lk