Car sales in the Canary Islands fell by 40.2 percent in March compared to the same month last year, reaching 2,411 registered units, compared to 4,035 in 2008, according to data from the Federation of Automotive Dealers Associations (Faconauto) known this Wednesday.
Registrations in the Islands in this first quarter result in a decrease of 45.1 percent compared to those of the first quarter of 2008. In the national total, meanwhile, they fell by 38.61 percent during the month of March, reaching 76,482 registered units, compared to 124,586 a year ago. In this case, the quarterly decrease is 42.94 percent compared to the January-March period of 2008.
For Faconauto, the national market "is already showing resistance to continue falling further. In fact, the dealers' association's forecast is that the private market will begin to show positive figures in the months of June or July".
"The sharp and rapid drop in sales experienced in recent months has cleaned up the market, so it is in a good position to start growing and recover from healthier positions," said the president of Faconauto, Antonio Romero-Haupold.
Follow the example of Navarra
According to the association, for this recovery to be activated, the central government and the regional governments should launch specific plans for direct aid to the acquisition of vehicles, as already happens, with very positive results, in many countries around us, such as Germany, France or Portugal.
In this sense, Faconauto insists again, upon learning the March figures, on the immediate effects that the Renove Plan promoted by the Foral Community of Navarra has had on sales. This plan, which gives aid of 1,200 or 2,200 euros to buyers (depending on the emission level of the vehicle purchased), has allowed sales to double. Daily operations have gone from about 30 to about 70.
"The Navarrese Renove demonstrates that direct aid revitalizes the market and, in addition, puts an end to the crisis of confidence that consumers are dragging," said Antonio Romero-Haupold, who already made a similar assessment last month.
With respect to this direct aid, Faconauto recalls that experience says that its fiscal balance is always positive, since it usually far exceeds the amount of aid granted.
ACN Press
