Deferral Of Requirements For Insurers Under The Work Injury Compensation Act 2019

1. Enacted in September 2019, the new Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 (WICA 2019) requires all insurers intending to sell Work Injury Compensation (WIC) insurance policies to be designated by the Ministry of Manpower, to be able to sell approved insurance policies and process claims (details in Annex A). This new regulatory regime was intended to take effect from 1 September 2020.
2. However, preparations by insurers have been affected by COVID-19 Circuit Breaker measures and remote working arrangements. The General Insurance Association (GIA) has thus requested to defer the implementation. MOM has considered GIA’s request and agreed to defer the implementation of the insurer regulatory regime till 1 January 2021 to ensure a smooth transition. Details on the deferral can be found on the MOM website. This deferral does not affect employers’ existing obligations and employees’ protections under WICA.
3. All other legislative amendments in the new WICA 2019 (details in Annex B) will continue to take effect from 1 September 2020 as announced earlier.
   
   ADVISORY TO EMPLOYERS
4. Existing WIC insurance policies that comply with current WICA (Chapter 354) requirements and which commenced before 1 January 2021 will remain valid until expiry or 31 December 2021, whichever is earlier.
5. For policies which commenced on or after 1 January 2021, employers should ensure that their insurer has been designated by MOM, when renewing or buying WIC insurance policies. The list of designated insurers will be posted on MOM’s website, after insurer designation begins on 1 September 2020.