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Firms participating in an ACH told to manage liquidity risks

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A DRAFT circular from the central bank said financial institutions must manage the liquidity risks that could come from settlement activities.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS participating in an automated clearing house (ACH) for electronic payments could soon be mandated to have liquidity risk management measures to avoid damages from rejected client transactions, a draft circular from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

The central bank said financial firms must manage potential risks from the “prescribed settlement mechanism for electronic payments, including the possibility that a rejected payment transaction of a client due to pre-funding issues may give rise to serious reputational damages to the concerned clearing participant.”

Clearing participants for electronic payments must assure certainty of settlement of the multilateral clearing obligations of clearing participants.

To do so, either the clearing participant or its settlement sponsor must maintain a BSP demand deposit account to be used for clearing obligations from electronic payments.

Meanwhile, distinct deposit accounts must be used for instant retail payments and batch settlement of electronic payments.

The BSP draft circular said clearing participants must make sure their demand deposit accounts can sufficiently settle obligations at each cycle, pre-funding the settlement of their net clearing obligations.

The draft circular also listed rules for service contracts between clearing participants and the clearing switch operator, including creating a record of the demand deposit account balances.

“Should the clearing participants determine that the funds in their demand deposit accounts for instant retail electronic payments are excessive after taking into account their highest potential clearing obligations, the clearing participants shall be allowed to withdraw from their demand deposit accounts to enable them to make optimal use of their funds,” the draft circular said.

The demand deposit accounts will form the financial institution’s reserves against deposit and deposit substitute liabilities, the central bank said. — J.P. Ibañez

ECB must follow peers with tough inflation message, Wunsch says

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THE European Central Bank (ECB) risks underestimating the threat posed by inflation and falling too far behind global peers in confronting soaring prices, Governing Council member Pierre Wunsch said.

The Belgian central bank chief said new projections showing euro-area inflation at 1.8% in 2023 and 2024 mean the 2% goal has basically been reached — allowing for a faster withdrawal of stimulus. He spoke a day after the ECB confirmed it would wind down its pandemic bond-buying program but temporarily expand an older one to ease the transition.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty about 2023 and 2024, but my take is that we’re essentially at target,” Wunsch said Friday in an interview. “Whether you’re at target or just a little bit below or a little bit above doesn’t matter so much. What I’m a bit concerned about is the fact that we’d insist so much on still being below target.”

Wunsch said he probably would have preferred a faster reduction in regular bond buying, while adding “that’s to me not the big issue.”

“The big issue for me is the narrative that doesn’t recognize enough that there seems to be an inflation issue in the world and we seem to see it very differently,” he said.

Thursday’s decision by the Frankfurt-based institution was an acknowledgment that emergency stimulus enacted to stem the economic damage from Covid-19 must be wound down now that output is near pre-crisis levels and inflation at its fastest since the euro was created.

But the steps it took were far less aggressive than elsewhere. The US Federal Reserve doubled the pace of its own stimulus exit, while the Bank of England delivered a surprise increase in interest rates — the first since the pandemic struck.

Speaking after Thursday’s announcement, ECB President Christine Lagarde said loose monetary policy remains necessary “for inflation to stabilize at our 2% inflation target over the medium term” from 4.9% in November.

Wunsch argued that the ECB no longer faces the dangerously slow price growth seen before the pandemic.

“We used to have low inflation rates and we were expecting to converge to the target,” he said. “But today is very different. Now we’re clearly above target. We have an average inflation over four years that’s clearly above 2%.”

Wunsch, who’s been in his role since 2019, has become increasingly hawkish in recent months. Other Governing Council members, while not as forceful, have said the inflation landscape may be changing.

Portugal’s Mario Centeno, who’s traditionally more dovish, warned that “the risk that inflation is higher than the forecasts exists.” France’s Francois Villeroy de Galhau, who objects to hawk or dove labels, said Friday “in some ways there is a new inflation regime around the 2% target that looks more like what we had before the financial crisis.”

So far, Lagarde appears to have convinced investors that a rate hike next year is unlikely — particularly as the developing threat from the omicron coronavirus variant triggers restrictions across Europe. Money markets are only betting on a 10 basis-point rate hike in early 2023.

For Wunsch, however, there’s a clear case to act — especially with the future inclusion of owner-occupied housing in the inflation calculations likely to push the rate up a little more.

“If we don’t believe that we’re going to have any kind of second-round effects, if we don’t believe our monetary policy is effective, at some point, we’re going to have a problem,” he said. “Because otherwise we’re in a situation where we’re never going to exit.” — Bloomberg

Colombia central bank raises rate to 3% on rising inflation

BOGOTA — Colombia’s central bank board raised the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 3% on Friday, as policymakers look to tamp down rising inflation amid a recent increase in the minimum wage for next year.

The seven-member board was once again divided on how sharply to increase the rate, with four policymakers backing a half-point uptick and the remainder backing a 75 basis-point increase.

Central banks around Latin America are sharply hiking rates. Mexico raised its rate by a surprise 50 basis points on Thursday, also on inflation concerns, while Chile raised its borrowing costs by a 20-year high of 125 points and Brazil increased its by 150.

Colombia’s bank revised its inflation projections for this year and next, raising the 2021 estimate to 5.3% from a previous 4.9% and the 2022 projection to 3.7% from 3.6%.

Inflation reached 5.26% in the 12 months to November, well above the bank’s long-term 3% target, and may increase further after the government approved a minimum wage increase of 10.07% for 2022.

“The central bank reiterates its commitment to the inflation target of 3% per year, and will continue to take the decisions required to ensure inflation moves towards that target,” the board said in a statement.

The uptick in the minimum wage, nearly three times the raise implemented for this year, is a great challenge board chief Leonardo Villar said.

“The increase in the minimum wage creates a particularly strong challenge for the central bank and for the fulfillment of its constitutional mandate to maintain a stable and low inflation,” he said.

The rate decision was in line with predictions by analysts in a Reuters survey last week and takes rate rises to a total of 125 basis points since September. The government raised its growth projection for 2021 to 9.7% this week, though it remains below the central bank’s prediction of 9.8%. — Reuters

IPO stability fund requirement seen as encouraging for investors

By Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte, Reporter

REQUIRING a stability fund for companies planning to go public with a secondary share component may help ease investor worry and it may also “provide better cushion” against volatility, analysts said.

“This will somehow be a positive step for investors so as to make them confident to place their investments on IPO (initial public offering) with secondary share offering within the near term,” Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said in a text message on Friday. 

In a televised interview last week, Philippine Stock Exchange President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon said the local bourse is looking into requiring a stabilization fund for companies with a secondary share component in their offering.

This came after shares of Medilines Distributors, Inc. plunged 30% on its first day at the stock exchange on the first week of December. The company’s public offer comprised 550 primary shares and 275 million secondary shares. 

“We’re looking at anywhere from 10% to 15% of the base offer,” Mr. Monzon told the ABS-CBN News Channel’s Market Edge on Dec. 16.

A stabilization fund is deployed by issuers through their underwriters to support the company’s stock price at the secondary market for a limited time. 

COL Financial Group, Inc. Chief Technical Analyst Juanis G. Barredo said requiring a stability fund is “a reasonable idea to study.”

“It may provide [a] better cushion for extra-ordinary volatility on listing day. The size of it may need to be examined though to see if it would be viable for the company to provide such as an anchor,” Mr. Barredo said in a Viber message on Friday.

He added that firms going public may “think twice” about being overly priced “as such contributes to the possible stretch back that may be encountered, thus reducing volatility.”

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said that an issue’s price valuations would “fundamentally matter.”

“The underlying price valuations would fundamentally matter,” Mr. Ricafort said in a separate Viber message on Sunday. “If the IPO price is seen as either priced at a premium, fair value, or at a discount based on estimated earnings, future cash flows/income, and book value.”

A stabilization fund may also be “an added feature” for the public offering. 

“Having a stability fund would also be part of the branding or value-added offered by the issuer, together with the issue managers, an important signaling for the market,” Mr. Ricafort said.

JCurve targets local sectors for service management solutions

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

AUSTRALIA-LISTED cloud technology solution provider JCurve Solutions Ltd. is targeting various sectors in the Philippines for its service management solution, quicta, including healthcare and logistics.

The company said quicta allows businesses to automate their end-to-end processes and optimize their operations and resources. Its target sectors in the Philippines include healthcare, consumer, transportation & logistics, professional, and retail & distribution services.

“Each of these industries has a service component that our solution can fulfill,” Arthur Fernandez, chief growth officer at JCurve, told BusinessWorld in a recent e-mail interview.

The ability to manage multiple parties is a key feature of quicta. “By seamlessly bridging this gap, it’s easier to provide a great customer experience, and retaining customers becomes more achievable,” he said.

Being a mobile-first solution, quicta adapts to any device without the need for an application.

“One surprise is that quicta users do not need to download an app,” Mr. Fernandez said. “Today’s businesses understand the true nature of what you can do with technology without having to download yet another app to the device and have the headache of managing it or worrying about constant fixes and updates.”

Asked what made JCurve decide to launch quicta in the Philippines, he said: “We see several businesses growing in the service industry but not necessarily having the tools or budget to build custom apps.”

“quicta having a configurable solution is easily adaptable to any service provider to complete their processes and sustain a high level of customer engagement,” he added.

JCurve announced in June its acquisition of the business assets of Philippine-based digital marketing company Creative Quest, as part of its expansion efforts in the country and the Southeast Asian region.

JCurve Solutions entered the Philippine market in 2019. It also has an office in Singapore.

“We have just started within the Philippines and are growing. The key challenge we face is meeting the right price point for our customers,” Mr. Fernandez said.

“Every industry is different in how they price for their customers; therefore, we must find a fine balance of not ‘eating’ into their cost of sale. The key takeaway is that we are flexible in working with our customers to provide the best solution possible.”

On the company’s future plans for quicta, he said: “We have a road map of which a few key futures include ‘out of the box’ integration with ERP (enterprise resource planning) solutions, multiple payment options, and enhanced workflow.”

Bank of Canada likely to signal earlier rate hikes possible

INFLATION surging, the Bank of Canada is likely to change its interest rate guidance in the new year so that it has the option to raise borrowing costs earlier than planned despite the threat the Omicron variant poses to growth, analysts said.

Last week when it left the key overnight rate at 0.25% — where it has been since March 2020 — the bank reiterated its guidance, saying it would not raise rates until economic slack has been absorbed “in the middle quarters of 2022.”

But it has turned hawkish since then, warning that inflation will run hot for longer than expected, and Governor Tiff Macklem said the slack in Canada’s economy caused by the coronavirus pandemic has substantially diminished.

“Even if the Bank of Canada wants to be a little bit cautious in front of a potential winter set of shutdowns…, if they think inflation expectations are starting to become unanchored, that will be their primary concern,” Andrew Kelvin, chief Canada strategist at TD Securities.

“Certainly, in January they will want to give themselves the option of March,” he added.

The bank will next meet to decide rates on Jan. 26, when it will also update its forecasts. Money markets expect about four rate hikes next year, with the first one coming in March. They see about a 40% chance of a January move.

“January will be a declaration that every meeting is now a live meeting” for a rate increase, said Adam Button, chief currency analyst at ForexLive.

While the spread of Omicron could undermine growth, it could also reduce slack in the economy more quickly by dialing back the speed at which the economy can grow, analysts said.

“I don’t think (the bank) will change course on Omicron because they’ll see that as inflationary” because it could disrupt supply chains even further, Button said.

November inflation hit nearly 5% and is starting to pinch. On Wednesday, Macklem said the bank is getting closer to no longer providing forward guidance that guaranteed low interest rates during the pandemic, which was seen as a signal by some analysts that it would be dropped in January.

A shift in guidance in January would probably mean the Bank of Canada would start raising rates ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve, which on Wednesday said it would speed up a phase-out of its bond-buying stimulus ahead of possibly three interest rate rises in 2022. Lift-off by the Fed is expected by money markets in June.

The Bank of England on Thursday became the world’s first major central bank to raise borrowing costs since the coronavirus pandemic hammered the global economy.

A bevy of Canadian economic data, including December jobs and inflation, will set the tone for January meeting. While most economists are skeptical about an increase as early as January, it is not impossible, said Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets.

“Never say never. I definitely can’t rule it out,” Porter said. “We’ll have lots of data by then,” he said, adding that the figures would have to all point in “one direction” and create a sense of urgency for the bank to move so quickly. — Reuters

Paschi planning to raise $2.8B for capital needs

BANCA MONTE dei Paschi di Siena SpA plans to raise €2.5 billion ($2.8 billion) to cover capital needs after the Italian government’s efforts to sell the lender to UniCredit SpA failed.

The capital increase is part of a five-year business plan that will be submitted to European authorities for approval, it said in a statement late Friday. The fresh funds will enable the bank to cover a gap that emerged in stress tests, investments for €800 million and restructuring charges of €1 billion.

Monte Paschi is revising a plan submitted to regulators earlier this year as the Italian government is failing to comply with a European Union (EU) requirement that it exits its stake. Italy bailed out Paschi, the world’s oldest bank, in 2017 and under the conditions of the rescue is supposed to exit the lender by the end of the year, though officials have indicated they’re asking for an extension.

Finance Minister Daniele Franco has said that Italy has already held initial talks with the EU to extend the deadline. Italy now expects to need at least another year to find a new buyer, people with knowledge of the matter have said.

The measures announced Friday are part of a 2022-2026 strategic plan, which also envisages job cuts managed through a voluntary exit scheme. Friday’s proposal will be the starting point for talks with the European Commission, which oversees the application of rules around government aid to companies.

Monte Paschi has been a financial burden for the Italian government since it was first bailed out in 2009, undermined by souring loans and derivatives deals that backfired. It has struggled to deliver consistent profit, given limited room for maneuver under terms the EU set in exchange for backing the aid plan.

Talks on selling Monte Paschi to UniCredit came to a halt earlier this year over the question of how much capital Italy should inject into the lender. — Bloomberg

Quality does not mean paying top dollar

CHINA won 38 gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and will host the Winter Olympics next year. Anta Sports, a brand founded in China in the 1990s, is poised for international exposure thanks to their sponsorships within the Olympic Games.

During the opening of their 7th store in the Philippines earlier this month in Robinsons Place Ermita, John Paul Paglinawan, General Manager of AvidSports Philippines, said that Anta sponsors not just China’s Olympic teams, but also its Olympic Games committee, as well as its referees and officials. The store opening was also an opportunity to launch the KT7, a sports shoe created with the collaboration of Golden State Warriors player Klay Thompson.

The KT7 features shock absorption, and fluid, bulletproof materials that can absorb 99.4% of impact to reduce the burden on ankles and knees to a great extent. It also uses lower heights, and thin and breathable material for comfort. For stability, KT7 uses parametric for better traction and liquid rubber for better grip.

According to Mr. Paglinawan, the brand has had a presence in the country for the past 10 or 15 years under another distributor. AvidSports Philippines has only been around since 2019, but is part of a company that distributes the brand in Southeast Asia under a joint venture between Anta Sports in China and Luen Thai in Hong Kong. According to an article in China Daily, Anta is the world’s “third-largest sportswear company by revenue.” Mr. Paglinawan credits this to the sheer size of the company in its (similarly large) country of origin. “In China, the brand has 10,000 stores. With the size of China, that basically drives it.” The brand has also acquired Amer Sports, which owns various sports-oriented brands such as Wilson (as in the balls) and outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx, adding to its bulk.

Touring the store, one finds that the brand is relatively affordable: on average, the sneakers cost P2,795, and its flagship shoe at present, the KT7, costs about P7,995. “From design to manufacturing, to retail, they own the whole process,” said Mr. Paglinawan. “Because of that vertical integration, since we’re involved on all levels… we can drive down the process.”

Meanwhile, celebrity and PBA Blackwater Bossings player Andre Paras, one of the ambassadors of Anta in the country, said that he personally wears the KT5 (two editions behind the new flagship sneaker). He said that the KT5 is “very comfortable. I’m someone who doesn’t like changing shoes.” While he was browsing through a display of sportswear from Anta (just a little above P1,000), he explained to BusinessWorld:  “I’m not sure if you’re familiar: players, when they play the game, first half, they wear different shoes, and second half, they swap. I never do that, because I just stick to one shoe. I’m not even kidding.

“You want to get that extra comfort, and that’s what Anta provides for me.”

Speaking about the Anta consumer profile, Mr. Paglinawan, said, “I think you’re a practical customer who demands quality, but you know you don’t need to pay top dollar to get it.” — Joseph L. Garcia

Customs bureau sets deadline for Pilipinas Shell payments

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has directed Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC) to make its first payment for alleged P3.49 billion in unpaid taxes for alkylate imports by Dec. 27, the Finance department said.

PSPC had agreed to pay taxes on alkylate imports shipped from 2014 to 2020, doing so under protest amid the pending court case, the Department of Finance (DoF) said in a press release on Saturday.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero in a letter to PSPC President Lorelie Q. Osial said the oil company’s accreditation could be suspended if it fails to pay.

The potential suspension “was not whimsically raised nor is the same a threat, but rather a proper recourse of the Bureau pursuant to existing rules and regulations and in view of the dissolution by the Supreme Court of the Temporary Restraining Order previously issued,” he said.

“In the event of default for the payment as agreed upon, the suspension of the accreditation of PSPC shall be forthwith imposed subject to existing rules and regulations, and without prejudice to any other available administrative and judicial remedies which the BoC may exercise.”

The Supreme Court lifted the temporary restraining order that had restricted the government from collecting the taxes, and it remanded the case to the Court of Tax Appeals, where PSPC filed a motion to pursue a previous temporary restraining order.

PSPC in a Viber message last week said that it would remit the P3.49 billion, under protest, as it looks to continue operations and import fuel supply.

“This will allow us to continue to provide to our customers and to the general public who rely on our products and mindful of the thousands of Filipinos whose livelihood depends on our ability to maintain our operations. The case on whether Alkylate is subject to excise tax is yet to be decided by the courts,” the company said.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the demand for payments “levels the playing field” while other oil companies pay taxes on their alkylate imports.

“Congratulations on collecting the tax on the alkylate imports. Even though it’s under protest, I think it’s a real move forward,” he told Mr. Guerrero in a meeting. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Magnolia Hotshots clinically defeat ROS Elasto Painters

MICHAEL HARRIS led Magnolia Hotshots in beating Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 109-98. — PBA MEDIA BUREAU

By Olmin Leyba

Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
3 p.m. – Blackwater vs Alaska
6 p.m. – Meralco vs TnT Tropang Giga

WELL-OILED Magnolia followed up its emphatic debut romp with a masterful dispatching of tough Rain or Shine (ROS), 109-98, for a rousing start in the 46th PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

Picking up from where they left off in a 114-87 blowout over Terrafirma, the Hotshots turned in another efficient performance against ROS to make it two-for-two and gain momentum ahead of their Christmas Day showdown with Barangay Ginebra.

“We controlled the pace, we executed on both ends and we were mentally tough. We needed to do all those against a tough team like Rain or Shine,” said coach Chito Victolero, who was victorious on his 200th game at the Magnolia bench.

So sharp were Mr. Victolero’s charges that they only committed five turnovers all game long — a new all-time lowest in franchise history — while engaged in the dogfight with the rugged Elasto Painters (2-2).

The Hotshots made a killing inside the paint, scoring 54 points against ROS’ 28 while netting 14 in fastbreak points versus ROS’ 4.

Mike Harris dropped 26 markers with six assists as Calvin Abueva shot 18 with nine rebounds.

Magnolia’s shock troopers contributed big-time with Jio Jalalon delivering 14 plus 10 dimes and Jerrick Ahanmisi (8), Jackson Corpuz (8), and Aris Dionisio (5) giving quality time.

Maganda ang contribution ng bench,” said Mr. Victolero. “They’re very sharp, they have good chemistry and they deserve their minutes.”

Three ROS stalwarts hit 20 or more in Henry Walker (23), Rey Nambatac (23) and Javee Mocon (20).

The Hotshots took command in the second period as the troika of Messrs. Harris, Jalalon and Corpuz teamed up in a 14-4 run that led to an initial 12-point separation.

They kept pounding the Elasto Painters en route to posting their largest margin at 96-78 and stayed on-guard against their rivals, who in their previous 90-88 win over Phoenix, proved capable of wiping out big deficits.

Big Mini’s back

A hefty 30% of Minis sold worldwide are Countryman units. That share grows to 40% in the Philippines. — PHOTO FROM MINI PHILIPPINES

Dichotomy sells, and the Countryman proves it

THERE’S NOTHING quite as playful, candid and quirky as a Mini — but the Countryman has its own special backstory. The progressive model is the product of business foresight, a gutsy attempt of the British brand to introduce a type of Mini that did not strictly conform with all of the traditional characteristics that first made Minis famous.

It has a length of over four meters, has four doors, and could comfortably seat five — something that was definitely not as “mini-sized” as the original proposition. And although it still has the DNA of a Mini and was absolutely recognizable as one, it also almost looked like a tiny crossover, which would certainly have to make a few sacrifices here and there in terms of comparable extreme driving dynamics. But in the end, the people have spoken.

The Mini Countryman, despite a lot of purist pushback, eventually evolved into a hot-selling model as it managed to diversify Mini’s original spectrum of clientele. More people became willing to own a Mini because they could opt for a relatively more practical vehicle in terms of space, versatility, and passenger capacity. These days, the Countryman comprises about 30% of all of Mini’s car sales worldwide! And even more interestingly, the Countryman’s share of total Mini sales in the Philippines is at an impressive 40%! How’s that for Mini providence?

And the latest news is that the new 2022 Mini Countryman is now available at Mini dealers in the country. It carries a refreshed radiator grille, a new body finish, and also comes with what I think is a really attractive, piano black exterior trim. Elevating the look are new, 19-inch turnstile-spoke two-tone wheels that come with run-flat tires as standard. The rear lights flaunt those funky Union Jack patterns, and they’re clearly discernible during the day as they are at night. Its headlamps and fog lights now use LEDs as standard equipment. It now also always comes with roof rails to exude its Mini All4 exterior image. This Mini Countryman that runs on a Cooper S gasoline engine with the latest TwinPower Turbo technology is priced at P3.75 million. And of course, being an All4, that certainly means it’s in four-wheel drive.

Powering this relatively bigger and higher (but still go-kart-like cute) driving machine is a four-cylinder, two-liter gasoline engine (with Twin Power Turbo technology) mated to a seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch sport transmission. This favors rapid gear changes, and can make the car go from a standstill to 100kph in 7.5 seconds. The more sophisticated engine combined with its new particulate filters also further optimize the car’s CO2 emissions, helping it meet stringent Euro 6d emission standards.

The interior is ever modern and convenient with its electronically adjustable front seats that offer a memory function for the seat adjustments of the driver. As a highlight of the comforts of the Countryman, it generously offers passengers three seats in the rear, which can be folded via a 40:20:40 split to free up more cargo space, should it be necessary. Folding all three seats increases the initial 450 liters of storage capacity to 1,390 liters. Also new in design is a central instrument panel that comes in piano black as well to match the exterior motif.

The digital cockpit display behind the steering wheel is also redesigned with a five-inch color screen. Set as standard is an 8.8-inch color display positioned in the center that also functions as a professional navigation system. Wireless phone charging, a second USB socket, and Apple CarPlay compatibility are all also among the new vehicle’s offerings.

Of course, a Mini will not be a Mini without its hip colors to choose from — and this latest model is available in two new shades, White Silver Metallic and Sage Green Metallic, among other options. And to many a customer’s delight, there is now also an extended range of original Mini accessories that allow for customers to further individualize their cars and, most especially, to opt for those ridiculously cute retro-fit parts. You can check them all out at official Mini dealers nationwide.

Kwik.insure to offer car insurance policies via GCash

INSURANCE PLATFORM Kwik.insure is working with GCash to allow car owners to buy policies through the financial technology platform.

Kwik.insure said car owners will be able to buy compulsory third-party liability and comprehensive car insurance policies through GCash.

“There’s a consistent rise in car ownership here in the country and it has motivated us to further aid Filipinos when it comes to ensuring their safety and security on the road,” Kwik.insure Chief Executive Officer Hamilton Angluben said in a press release on Sunday.

The service could be accessed through GInsure in the GCash mobile application.

“After clicking on their preferred insurance policy, they just need to provide the complete details of their vehicle to see all their options,” Kwik.insure said.

The insurance technology startup launched its online platform earlier this year, allowing users to receive e-policies directly from insurance companies.

GCash President and Chief Executive Officer said the new partnership aligns with the company’s aim to democratize financial services.

Car sales grew by 14% year on year to 26,456 units in November, data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association showed.

Vehicle sales as of November exceeded last year’s sales total after the industry sold 240,642 units in the first 11 months, up by 22.7% from the 196,197 units sold during the same period last year.

Total industry sales plummeted by 40% year on year to 223,793 units in 2020 due to the lockdowns declared to curb the pandemic. — J.P. Ibañez