Some 64 percent of municipality-owned homes are not insured against natural disasters, and 70 percent of the mayor's offices did not carry out activities to encourage citizens to take out the mandatory insurance policy, shows an Infocons survey.
Among the reasons cited by the local authorities for the fact that the residential properties under their management are not insured against natural disasters are: the lack of budget appropriations; budgetary constraints caused by the SARS-COV2 pandemic; the location of buildings in areas that are not under the threat of natural risks covered by the mandatory policy; insufficient staff or the lack of a specialized department to evaluate the situation of the buildings; local public administrations being overwhelmed by tasks under their responsibility; the responsibility of tenants or those interested in purchasing the buildings.
Moreover, according to the respondents, only 45 percent of city and county seat mayor's offices had appropriations in the 2022 state budget for the mandatory insurance of the homes under their ownership of management.
As far as the absence of sanctions and measures to encourage owners to take out insurance against natural disasters is concerned, the local authorities claim that the main reason is the insufficiency of the budget and specialized staff, as well as the citizens' lack of interest on this subject.
Nationwide, 68 percent of town and county seat mayor's offices have properties under their direct management or through their companies, with the insurance coverage rate standing at 36 percent. According to statistical data of the Natural Disaster Insurance Pool, only 20 percent of Romania's total housing stock is insured against natural disasters, despite the provisions of Law No. 260/2008 on the mandatory insurance of homes against earthquakes, landslides or floods, with subsequent amendments and additions, the release also mentions.
The survey was carried out by consumer protection association InfoCons between March and December 2022 and concerns the perception, involvement and expenses committed by mayor's offices across the country (at the level of cities and county seats) to ensure the financial protection of both privately and state-owned homes, respectively the way how authorities protect their administrative buildings or those that are part of the critical infrastructure (schools, hospitals etc.). AGERPRES
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