Domestic vehicle sales rise 32%

Domestic vehicle sales rise 32%

JAKARTA : Indonesia's auto sales in the domestic market rose 32 percent in September from a year before, faster than August's growth, PT Astra International said, citing figures from the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries.

A total of 45,369 units were sold in the domestic market in September, from 34,396 units in the same month last year, Astra, the country's biggest auto distributor said in an e-mailed statement, citing association figures. Astra itself sold 18,324 units to the local market last month, the company said.

In August, total domestic sales rose to 38,695 units, 29 percent higher than 30,052 units, which were sold in the same month last year, Astra said last month.

Faster economic growth and record-low interest rates are helping Astra and rival PT Indomobil Sukses International sell more cars in the country of 235 million people. Most car purchases are funded by loans. Indonesia's economy, Southeast Asia's biggest, may have expanded as much as 4.9 percent in the third quarter, the central bank said.

Indonesian carmakers included in the association sold 348,736 units in the nine months ended Sept. 30, Astra said. That's about 30 percent more than 268,550 cars they sold in the same period last year. Astra sold 154,514 cars in the nine-month period, 38 percent more than the same period last year. -- Agencies