Insurers call for a two-year delay in the effective date of IFRS 17

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17 Oct, 2018

Nine insurance industry organisations from Europe, Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa have written a joint letter to the IASB asking for further amendments to IFRS 17 'Insurance Contracts' and a two-year delay in the effective date of the standard.

The letter stresses the support of the industry for IFRS 17 as a "high-quality standard for insurance contracts which improves insurers’ financial reporting" but notes that preparatory work has confirmed that "a number of important issues need to be resolved in order to ensure the quality and operational practicability of the new standard". In addition, the insurers mention operational constraints ontheir ability to successfully implement IFRS 17 on the current timelines. The letter argues:

As a result, we strongly believe a 2-year delay in the effective date of the standard is required. This lead time is essential both to allow for the necessary improvements to the standard and to allow adequate time for the wide range of companies required to apply the standard and meet its significant implementation challenges.

The letter promises that a delay would not result in insurers stopping or slowing their implementation projects.

Please click to access the letter on the website of Insurance Europe, one of the signatories of the letter.

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