VIG currently controls some 98 percent of Asirom.

“The insurance sector generally had a poor evolution in terms of profitability in the past year. There are two types of insurance in Romania: mandatory car insurance and life insurance. Losses were higher for the first type. Expectations of investors for this sector are lower,” said an Analysis Department broker with the SSIF Broker company, Adrian Danciu.

Asirom posted losses worth €1.6 million in the first nine months of 2007. It has a 10.5 percent share on the general life insurance market, with gross subscribed premiums worth €144 in the first three quarters of last year.