The Secretary of State, Raed Arafat, gave assurances on Wednesday that he will renew the voluntary insurance of the home he owns in Ilfov County as soon as time permits and raised an alarm signal related to the payment of compensation: there should be no more reasons not to indemnify, but those to indemnify.
Raed ArafatPhoto: Government of Romania
- “I had (home insurance), it is not renewed, I am going to renew it. I didn’t even have time to do many things for myself personally. I assure you that it will be renewed. I had optional insurance, which also includes the mandatory one,” Raed Arafat said on Wednesday.
right wealth declarationthe Secretary of State Raed Arafat owns an 80 sqm apartment in Ștefănestii de Jos, Ilfov county.
We remind you that according to law 260/2008, which entered into force in the summer of 2010, all home owners are obliged to insure their properties against earthquakes, floods and landslides.
The 5.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Tuesday in Gorj county was followed, until Wednesday afternoon, by over 160 aftershocks, it had effects in 22 localities in 5 counties: Gorj, Dolj, Hunedoara, Mehedinți and Vâlcea, effects that they did not put lives in danger, Raed Arafat announced on Wednesday.
Arafat: There cannot be more reasons not to compensate, than those to compensate!
Asked on Wednesday by HotNews.ro if any insured risk occurred when he had valid home insurance, Raed Arafat said that there were no events.
HotNews.ro reminded Raed Arafat that in the summer of 2018, in the context of extensive floods in the country, he warned the insurance companies regarding complaints in many places in the country that the compensation related to the 10- 20 euros for compulsory home insurance.
Has he heard such complaints in the meantime, especially in the context of the earthquake in Gorj?
- “Yes, it was on the flood and rural side, where we had reports that people had paid and then there were dozens of reasons why they wouldn’t be compensated. And this is extremely important, because it is a very big market, a lot of money is received, maybe the amounts are not enough, I do not enter the field of insurance, that is not my field, but it is clear that if the man has paid should be compensated.
- And if there are reasons to refuse compensation, they must be very clear reasons and there cannot be more reasons not to compensate, than reasons to compensate.
- These are problems that we were notified about at some point, I don’t know if they continue on the flooding side in rural areas.”, he said.
Home insurance against earthquakes, floods and landslides is mandatory only in name, bearing in mind that in 13 years no fine has been given as required by law, but for a maximum of 20 euros per year, how much does such insurance cost, hundreds of Romanians received millions of lei last year for damaged houses. Others, however, were refused and complained about this to the ASF.
The authority’s data sent to HotNews.ro show that, in 2021, Romanians made 26 complaints, of which 11 were for non-payment of compensation, while last year there were 13 complaints, of which 5 were for non-payment of compensation.