Committee for insurance agents

The Committee for Work with Insurance Agents is a standing body of the Association of Insurance Agents and Brokers. It deals with matters concerning insurance agents: individuals and legal entities working with insurance organisations under agency agreements. The Committee studies agency practice, prepares proposals for the Board and helps agents work according to uniform and clear rules.

Objectives of the Committee

• Collecting and summarising the issues agents face in their relations with insurance organisations, including when concluding, performing and terminating agency agreements.
• Developing and updating the professional standard for insurance agents: requirements for knowledge, skills, business ethics and procedures for working with clients.
• Developing agent profiles in the register of insurance agents: completeness and accuracy of information and clear information for clients.
• Preparing proposals for agent training and accreditation programmes jointly with the Association's specialised committees.
• Considering agents' complaints concerning infringement of their professional interests and preparing the Association's position on such matters.
• Disseminating recommendations on good-faith agency practice, including the handling of clients' personal data.

Goals of the Committee

The Committee seeks to ensure that an insurance agent's work is transparent for the client and predictable for the insurance organisation. To this end, it promotes uniform approaches to the terms of agency agreements, higher professional standards among agents and consumer trust in insurance intermediaries. A separate goal is to protect the legitimate interests of agents in their relations with insurance organisations and in discussions of industry rules.

Regulations on the Committee

The Committee's procedures are set out in the Regulations on the Committee for Work with Insurance Agents. The key provisions of the document are:

• the Committee operates on the basis of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including the Law "On Insurance Activity", as well as the Association's constituent and internal documents;
• the Committee Chair is appointed or elected by the Board, and Committee members are drawn from among the members of the Association;
• meetings are held at least once a quarter, and decisions are taken by a simple majority of votes provided a quorum of more than half of the Committee members is present;
• minutes are drawn up for each meeting, and the Committee's decisions take effect after approval by the Board.

The full text of the Regulations and the Memorandum of Cooperation with Insurance Agents are attached below in PDF format.

Structure of the Committee

• Committee Chair — organises the work, chairs meetings and represents the Committee before the Board.
• Committee members — representatives of insurance agents, both individuals and legal entities, from among the members of the Association.
• Committee Secretary — prepares materials for meetings, keeps minutes and records incoming complaints and requests.

To work through specific issues, the Committee may set up working groups and invite experts.

Reporting line

The Committee is accountable to the Board of the Association. It reports on its work and submits proposals and draft documents for the Board's consideration. The Committee's decisions take effect only after they are approved by the Board, which ensures a consistent position of the Association across all areas.

Role of the Committee

The Committee serves as a platform where insurance agents discuss common problems and develop a coordinated position. Through it, the Association receives information on agency practice directly from market participants and takes it into account in its decisions: in the professional standard, training programmes and register maintenance rules. For insurance organisations, the Committee is a clear point of contact on agency agreement matters; for clients, it is an additional guarantee that the agent works according to professional rules.

Every insurance agent in the register is an associate member of the Association without an application or fees. Membership is confirmed in the personal account by accession to the Memorandum with Insurance Market Participants. Proposals for the Committee's work can be submitted via the Association's contacts.