Mauritania: establishment of an independent insurance regulatory commission

Mauritanian public authorities have decided to take measures against the sluggishness characterizing the insurance markets. The woes straining the business are due to the configuration of its surrounding environment. The government is considering the possibility of connecting the directorate of insurance supervision to the Mauritanian central bank.

The most credible alternative would consist in setting up the regulatory authority of the insurance market (ARMA), an independent institution whose role would be to oversee all the players operating in the business. This is so urgent that a project for the development of a financial place is already there. In addition, policyholders’ trust in their insurer would be improved. With the insurance companies on the market not publishing any figures, it is difficult to assess the weight of insurance and its bearing on the country’s economy.