Analise e desafios do IFRS4 (fase II): contratos de seguro

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the changes in IFRS4 as proposed by IASB and to make a contribution in the discussions about the challenges for implementing it in Brazil. An insurance company is a financial entity, picking up, in advance, resources from the public against future guarantee. On the other side, similar risks affecting banks also threatens insurance companies. Due to the role of banking activities in the economy, operational and solvency rules were established for financial entities based on enterprise risk management approach, there are the rules of Basel I and II. Similar requirements guided the insurance market, the so called Solvency I and II. At the same time, international organizations have been up-dating the accounting principles and the financial reports to the new dynamic and new financial instruments, so in 2008, the IASB published the consolidated standards, IFRS, including rules for insurance contracts accounting. Actions already taken and forthcoming are implemented in world scale, no more solely in one country, is the globalization of accounting principles. The implementation of IRFS4 has also other advantages as to facilitate the comparison of financial situation between Brazilian companies and also to other markets. The Brazilian Commissioner SUSEP, had been following the international practice, introducing them, gradually, in the Brazilian Insurance Market. According the opinions of specialist in these matters, recently interviewed, and as result of the interpretation of their comments, the new rules will, no doubt, will impact in company reporting both from the qualitative and quantitative points of view. About the qualitative side, are strong expectations that future financial reports, prepared under new accounting rules allows the users of the information to clearly understand the type of risks underwrites by the entities. While, from the quantitative side, valuation of assets and liabilities, based on concepts of fair value and present value of future cash flows, will impact in the calculation of the net worth, and consequently in the solvency of the entity. If the new accounting rules for insurance contracts issued by SUSEP, following most of the CPC11, demonstrates the difficulties to implement some concepts, as an example, the reporting of reinsurance operations, surely, the phase II of IFRS4 will bring to the market more troubles. On the other side, according the same experts, to achieve satisfactory results it will be necessary that, both actuaries and accountants, working hard together, in order to understand and apply the accounting rules in a correct way