Philippines: Competitive Markets and Enabling Policy Environment
Competitive markets are best geared to respond to farmers’ need and offer tailor-made insurance products. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure a level playing field. This is particularly important in countries where state-owned insurers compete with the private sector. Policymakers and the regulator have to create a framework that provides all market players, public and private, the same access to infrastructure and services, such as access to data on weather or agricultural production. In countries where premiums are subsidized, all insurance companies have to be eligible to participate in the subsidy scheme, provided they fulfill the conditions set by the government, for example targeting of small-scale farmers.
