Indonesia’s car sales slump in April due to COVID-19 pandemic

The number of Indonesia’s car sales tumbled in April as the COVID-19 pandemic has been dashing economic activities, an association said on Thursday.

Data of the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association showed that the car sales plunged by 60 percent to 24,276 units in April on the monthly basis.

“Actually, we are very disappointed with the figure, because it is far below our expectation,” the association’s Deputy Chairman Rizwan Alamsjah said.

For May, the deputy chairman said the down-ships in car sales are estimated to slow.
Meanwhile, the association’s Head Yohannes Nangoi reckoned that the fall of sales was also factored by the temporary closure of many car factories during the partial lockdowns, local media reported.

Domestic car sales have often been used to measure private consumption in the country, and as an indicator showing the health of the economy.

Indonesia’s car sales target has been cut by half in 2020 as the novel coronavirus has dragged down exports and domestic demands of the automotive products, according to the Industry Ministry.

Indonesia sold 1.03 million car units domestically last year and shipped 843,000 units offshore, data from the country’s Automotive Industry Association said.