Grace Kennedy’s subsidiary Jamaica International Insurance (JIIC) was almost fully drowned by sharply increased claims losses in 2013 of $1.89 billion, up from $1.34 billion in 2012 resulting in a small profit of only $17 million as gross premium income rose from $4.18 billion to $4.3 billion and investment income rose by $130 million to $542 million, mainly due to foreign exchange gains of $114 million that increased by $65 million. In 2012 the company made profit after tax of $180 million.
During the year the company reviewed its claims provisioning and increased the provision for claims in the third quarter of the year resulting in losses up to the quarter.
Profit in 2013 fell even as administrative cost was held steady at $813 million in both years.
At year end JIC boast total assets of $7.5 billion a slight increase over the $7.24 billion at the end of 2012, at the end of 2011 assets stood at $6.5. Shareholders’ equity stands at $2 billion at December 2013. The asset base put JIIC just below Guardian General with assets of $8.65 billion at the end of 2013 but almost twice the size of General Accident with assets of $4.26 billion.
