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新成立的香港独立保监局（IIA）计划与大陆保监会开展跨境监管合作，以保障占比超过香港新售人寿保单五分之二的数千名内地投保人的合法权益。
香港保监局主席郑慕智博士
（该文章2017年6月11日发表于南华早报海外版，标题为“Hong Kong’s insurance regulator sets its first task as cross-border enforcement”，原文作者Enoch Yiu，我对文章进行了全文翻译，原文可点击文末“阅读原文”查看。）
新成立的香港独立保监局（IIA）计划与大陆保监会开展跨境监管合作，以保障占比超过香港新售人寿保单五分之二的数千名内地投保人的合法权益。
香港保监局将于6月26日开始运作，正式接管香港保险监理处（OCI）对香港保险业的监管职能，监督香港保险公司以及9万名保险销售人员。
“很多内地居民选择到香港购买保险产品，这对于作为全球保险中心之一的香港有着非常积极的意义。不过同时，这些跨境交易也需要我们的格外警惕，并与内地保险监管机构保持密切联系，打击任何不正当销售及误导行为，保护所有香港保单持有人的权益。”香港保监局主席郑慕智先生说。
数据显示，内地居民在2016年首9个月内于香港投保了价值490亿港币（约合62.8亿美元）的人寿保单，占香港新售保单保费的近40%。
根据汤森路透（Thomson Reuters）的统计数据，过去三年中，共有21个、总价值约40亿美元的对香港保险公司的收购提议，其中有九个是由中国内地公司主导发起的。
郑慕智主席表示，香港是一个国际化的开放市场，欢迎内地的资本对香港当地保险公司进行投资。
“重要的是，我们必须确保新的投资者继续任命了解当地保险市场的专业人士。我们希望他们是为香港保险业的长远利益而投资，而非追求短期利润。”郑慕智主席讲道。
他补充说，香港保监局将与中国保监会合作，加强对内地和香港保险产品的公众教育。
“内地居民在购买香港保险时，需要了解货币风险及其享有的权利，这一点很重要。”
郑慕智主席表示，对于已经出现的一些有关销售误导的投诉，香港保监局计划与中国保监会密切合作，确保高标准的监督管理。
保监局的成立，对于香港保险业监管来说，也是一个里程碑式的事件。
新的监管机构将作为拥有独立财务状况的公共机构运作，计划雇佣最多300人，目前已经雇佣约180人，为非公务员体制，运行首四年的预算约为6.5亿港元（约合8,337万美元）。
现任保险业监理专员梁志仁先生将出任保监局行政总监，借调安排为期一年，同时让保监局有更多时间寻找新的行政总监。
“想要找到一个既懂保险、又十分了解香港当地保险市场的新行政总监很难。”郑慕智主席说。
未来，香港的9万名保险销售人员将需要向保监局申请更新保险销售许可资格，现行的行业自律规则将有所转变。
MassMutual亚洲区董事总经理兼首席执行官郑庆藩（Tay Keng Puang）担心，新的监管机构可能会导致行业受到过度监管，使合规成本上涨。
“我们希望看到新的监管机构在市场发展与监管之间寻得平衡。”郑庆藩说。
香港保险业联会总干事（HKFI）谭仲豪先生表示，他非常乐于与新的监管机构进行接触与合作。
“我们支持新的监管机构与中国保监会密切合作，进行跨境监管合作。‘一带一路’代表着更多需要保险保障的跨境基础设施建设项目。香港保险公司将会在这些项目中发挥重要作用。”谭仲豪先生说。

文章原文

Hong Kong’s insurance regulator sets its first task as cross-border enforcement (by Enoch Yiu, South China Morning Post)
The newly set up Hong Kong Insurance Authority plans to work with its mainland counterpart on cross border regulation in a bid to protect the thousands of mainlanders who represent nearly two-fifths of life policies sold in the city annually.
The Insurance Authority will officially start operations on June 26, taking over from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner as regulator for all insurance companies and overseeing about 90,000 insurance sales staff.
“There are many mainlanders buying insurance products in Hong Kong which is positive for Hong Kong as an international insurance centre. However, these cross border transactions also mean there is a need for us to pay attention and to keep in close communication with the mainland insurance regulator to crack down on any malpractices or misselling to protect the interest of all policyholders,” said Moses Cheng Mo-chi, chairman of the Insurance Authority.
Mainlanders bought HK$49 billion (US$6.28 billion) worth of life policies in Hong Kong during the first nine months of 2016, representing almost 40 per cent of all life policies sold in the city, according to the most recent data.
Among the 21 proposed takeovers of Hong Kong insurers worth US$4 billion in the past three years, nine were led by mainland companies, according to data from Thomson Reuters.
Cheng said Hong Kong was an open market and he welcomed mainland investment into local insurers.
“What is important is we have to make sure the new buyers continue to appoint professionals who understand the local insurance market. We want them to invest for the long term benefit of the Hong Kong insurance sector and not to chase short term profits,” he said.
He added that the authority would work with CIRC to bolster public education on insurance products on the mainland and in Hong Kong.
“It is important for mainland policyholders to understand the currency risks and about their rights when they buy policies in Hong Kong.”
Cheng said the authority plans to work closely with the CIRC to ensure a high standard, noting that there have been few complaints of product misselling.
The establishment of the Insurance Authority will also reflect a regulatory milestone for the local insurance sector.
The new regulator will function as a public body, with independent financial status. Plans are for the regulator to employ up to 300 people, up from about 180 currently, under non-civil service contracts with a budget of HK$650 million (US$83.37 million) for its first four years of operation.
It is expected that John Leung Chi-yan, the incumbent Insurance Commissioner, will be acting chief executive for a year while a search for a replacement is conducted.
“It is hard to find a new chief executive as we want someone who knows insurance and also the local market well,” Cheng said.
In future, the city’s 90,000 insurance salesmen will need to apply to the authority to renew their licenses, a switch from the current practice of self-regulation by the industry body.
Tay Keng Puang, managing director and chief executive of MassMutual Asia, is concerned that the new authority may lead to excessive regulation and rising compliance costs.
“We would like to see the new authority achieve a balance between market development and regulation,” Tay said.
Hong Kong Federation of Insurers chief Peter Tam said he’s upbeat on the opportunity to engage with the new regulatory authority.
“We support the new authority to work closely with the CIRC on more cross border regulatory co-operation. The Belt and Road Initiative may present more cross border infrastructure projects that may need insurance coverage. Hong Kong insurers could have a role to play in these projects,” Tam said.
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