A pension system for younger workers in Greece: a proposal for growth

Recent pension reforms help to trap Greece in deep crisis, but only increase the insecurity of pensioners. To break out of that vicious circle, a fresh start is needed. Such can result from the immediate introduction of a new type of pre-funded pensions. Such a new system, will put a stop to the reneging on pension commitments and can give a decisive impetus to the growth process. A detailed proposal was presented in December 2016 by a team of three academics from the University of Piraeus. That proposal has been quantified, potential problems identified and solutions proffered; even the considerable transition problems are likely to be more tractable than the most probable future course of the present, totally non-viable, arrangements

A Luenberger index for the Greek life insurance industry

This paper uses the Luenberger productivity index to evaluate the productivity changes of Greek Life insurance companies between 1994 and 2003, combining operational and financial variables. It is found that the average annual productivity change was about 19% and was due to technological progress, whereas the impact of efficiency was minimal. It seems that deregulation, established by the Third Insurance Directive in 1994, provoked investments in new technologies which were not matched by superior managerial practices. For comparative purposes, a Malmquist productivity index is estimated.peer-reviewe

Analysing the efficiency of the Greek life insurance industry

This paper uses the DEA-CCR and the DEA-BCC models to evaluate the performance of Greek life insurance companies in the period 1994 to 2003, combining operational and financial variables. These models identify adequately the inefficient companies, but are weak in discriminating among those found to be efficient. To improve the results, we employ the Cross-Efficiency and the Super- Efficiency models. We estimate an inefficiency gap of about 27%. Furthermore, by using the Mann-Whitney Z-Test, we find that large and quoted life insurance companies, as well as those involved in mergers and acquisitions, exhibit higher efficiency. A major finding is that the local market is in great need of further consolidation.peer-reviewe

Analysing the efficiency of the Greek life insurance industry

This paper uses the DEA-CCR and the DEA-BCC models to evaluate the performance of Greek life insurance companies in the period 1994 to 2003, combining operational and financial variables. These models identify adequately the inefficient companies, but are weak in discriminating among those found to be efficient. To improve the results, we employ the Cross-Efficiency and the Super Efficiency models. We estimate an inefficiency gap of about 27%. Furthermore, by using the Mann-Whitney Z-Test, we find that large and quoted life insurance companies, as well as those involved in mergers and acquisitions, exhibit higher efficiency. A major finding is that the local market is in great need of further consolidation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Catastrophe Insurance System for the European Union

This paper proposes an integrated risk management plan for catastrophe risks in the European Union, consisting of three layers. The private markets would have the first layer of responsibility, while the National Catastrophe Insurance Organizations would represent the second layer. This layer would in turn be supported by the European Group of National Catastrophe Organizations (EUROCAT), a new organization operating under the auspices of the European Commission. An approach that utilizes a pan-European reinsurance program is proven to be the most efficient solution for minimizing the total cost of catastrophe risks in the European Union. EUROCAT would be a reinsurer of last resort and provide reinsurance to qualified state or regional catastrophe insurance funds. Member-state funds would be required to adopt adequate disaster response and management mechanisms and enforce reasonable building code, land use, and mitigation efforts to minimize the amount of insured losses. As the reinsurance premiums charged by EUROCAT would be risk-based, the pricing mechanism would be used to encourage active development and enforcement of these standards.

Deregulation, Insurance Supervision and Guaranty Funds*

The objective of this article is twofold: first, to present a holistic approach to insurance regulation and, second, to put forward the proposition that the establishment of guaranty funds will facilitate the effectiveness of the supervisory authorities in the European insurance markets, which will go through the consolidation process. Consolidation will materialise by means of mergers and acquisitions, exits and bankruptcies. It is argued that consumer expectations, intensified competition and the convergence of financial and insurance markets require the establishment of guaranty funds in all Member States of the European Union, in order to deal with the expected increased rate of insurer insolvencies. Such an evolution will provide supervisory authorities with more degrees of freedom in removing earlier impaired insurers from the market, instead of waiting and exacerbating the eventual insolvency deficits. The argument is that, in addition to protecting the victims of insolvencies, such an arrangement is optimal as an insurance device, which will increase consumer confidence and market stability.

A Malmquist Index for the Greek Insurance Industry*

The objective of this paper is to estimate the effects of deregulation after the implementation of the Third Insurance Directive in the Greek insurance market. Efficiency and productivity measures are estimated by means of data envelopment analysis, applied to a sample of almost all Greek insurance companies, for the period 1994–2003. The companies are separated into three groups: life, non-life and mixed insurance companies, and a Malmquist Index is estimated for each group. The Malmquist index is decomposed into technical efficiency change (pure technical and scale efficiency) and technological change. It is found that the life sector experienced an average annual productivity growth of 16.1 per cent, the non-life sector had a rate of 6.5 per cent and the group of mixed insurance companies had the lowest productivity of 3.3 per cent.

Efficiency in the Greek insurance industry

This paper employs the two-stage procedure of Simar and Wilson (2007) to analyse the effects of deregulation on the efficiency of the Greek insurance industry. The efficiency is estimated by means of data envelopment analysis (DEA). The companies are ranked according to their CRS efficiency score for the period 1994-2003. The first stage results indicate a decline in efficiency over the sample period, while the second stage results confirm that the competition for market shares is a major driver of efficiency in the Greek insurance industry.Insurance Greece Productivity change Bootstrapped DEA

Analysing The Efficiency Of The Greek Life Insurance Industry

This paper uses the DEA-CCR and the DEA-BCC models to evaluate the performance of Greek life insurance companies in the period 1994 to 2003, combining operational and financial variables. These models identify adequately the inefficient companies, but are weak in discriminating among those found to be efficient. To improve the results, we employ the Cross-Efficiency and the Super- Efficiency models. We estimate an inefficiency gap of about 27%. Furthermore, by using the Mann-Whitney Z-Test, we find that large and quoted life insurance companies, as well as those involved in mergers and acquisitions, exhibit higher efficiency. A major finding is that the local market is in great need of further consolidation.Greek life insurance companies, Data Envelopment Analysis, Efficiency