Insurance consumer protection committee

The Committee for the Protection of Insurance Consumers' Rights is a standing body of the Association of Insurance Agents and Brokers. It considers clients' complaints about insurance intermediaries, promotes consumers' financial literacy, is responsible for the feedback procedure in the association's registry, and prepares the association's position on consumer issues for its dealings with the regulator. The Committee relies on the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Consumer Protection", the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Insurance Activity" and the association's internal documents.

Objectives of the Committee

• Considering consumers' requests and complaints about the actions of insurance agents and brokers who are members of the association.
• Identifying typical violations of clients' rights when selecting an insurance programme and when concluding and servicing an insurance contract.
• Preparing recommendations for intermediaries on disclosure of information to the client: about the insurance terms, the insurer, and the procedure for filing a claim for an insurance payout.
• Promoting financial literacy: leaflets and explanations on policyholders' rights, how to read a contract and how to act when an insured event occurs.
• Organising feedback in the registry: rules for publishing and moderating client reviews, and consideration of disputed moderation cases.
• Interaction with the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market and other government bodies on matters of protecting the rights of insurance consumers.

Goals of the Committee

The Committee's goal is for the client of an insurance intermediary to understand what they are buying, know their rights and be able to count on careful consideration of their complaint. The Committee works towards transparency in the work of agents and brokers, clear terms of service and honest feedback that can be relied upon when choosing an intermediary. The aggregated experience of complaints helps association members correct typical mistakes before they turn into disputes.

Regulations on the Committee

The status, functions and procedures of the Committee are set out in the Regulations on the Committee for the Protection of Insurance Consumers' Rights. The main provisions of the document are:

• the Committee is a standing body of the association and is accountable to the Management Board;
• for each complaint, the Committee requests explanations from the association member and prepares a conclusion with recommendations;
• if a dispute can be settled through negotiation, the Committee offers the parties mediation with the participation of the Mediation Committee;
• where there are signs of a breach of the Code of Professional Ethics or service standards, the materials are referred to the Disciplinary Committee;
• the Committee does not replace the regulator or the courts and does not deprive the consumer of the right to apply to them;
• applicants' personal data are processed in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Personal Data and Their Protection";
• meetings are held at least once a quarter; decisions are taken by a simple majority of votes and take effect after approval by the Management Board.

The full text of the Regulations on the Committee and the Memorandum of Cooperation are available below in PDF format.

Structure of the Committee

• The Chair of the Committee organises its work, convenes and chairs meetings, and reports to the Management Board.
• Committee members are representatives of association members with experience in client service and claims settlement.
• The Secretary of the Committee registers requests, prepares materials for meetings and keeps the minutes.

The Committee may set up working groups (on complaint handling, financial literacy and review moderation) and involve experts on an advisory basis.

Reporting line

The Committee is accountable to the association's Management Board. The Chair of the Committee is appointed or elected by the Management Board, which also approves the Committee's decisions. The Committee regularly presents the Management Board with a review of complaints received and proposals for improving client service standards.

Role of the Committee

The Committee represents the interests of insurance intermediaries' clients within the association. For consumers, it is a clear point of contact where they can send a complaint about an agent or broker and receive a reasoned response. For association members, it is a source of feedback and practical recommendations. For the regulator and public associations, it is a partner in discussing the problems of insurance consumers.

Complaints about an insurance agent or broker, as well as proposals regarding the Committee's work, can be submitted via the "Contacts" section. Requests are handled confidentially, and the outcome is communicated to the applicant.