Monthly car sales in Indonesia surged by 61.4 percent in November from the previous month amid gloomy performance in the first 11 months of the year due to fuel price hikes and high interest rates.

According to the Indonesian automotive producers association Gaikindo, sales rose to 33,400 units from 20,694 in the preceding month.

November sales also showed a 28.5 percent rise when compared with the same month in 2005, when annual car sales hit the record high of above 530,000 units.

Car sales in 11 months ending November totaled 287,790 units, making it extremely hard for the association to meet full year target of 320,000 units with only one month left.

Gaikindo Chairman Bambang Trisulo said the improving performance in auto industry was supported by central bank's recent move to lower the benchmark interest rate.

"We hope that in 2007, Bank Indonesia interest rate will fall further to below 9 percent," he was quoted Wednesday by leading economic daily Bisnis Indonesia as saying.

Source: Xinhua