Vehicle sales up 2.8% in August
Statistics Dept says sales grew at slower pace to RM12.3bil
KUALA LUMPUR: The sales value of motor vehicles in August rose at a slower pace of 2.8% to RM12.3bil from a year ago, according to Statistics Department.
Sales value slipped from the RM12.4bil recorded in July when sales value grew 9.8% on-year, the department said. Vehicle sales are part of the country’s wholesale and retail trade.
The volume index of vehicles increased by 1.4% to 128.7 points in August this year. The seasonally adjusted volume index of vehicles advanced 1.8% in August from July.
As for the sales value of vehicles business registered, data showed it slipped 0.2% compared with the previous month.
The report also pointed out the sales value of the country’s wholesale and retail trade was RM97.7bil in August, which was a 9.8% growth from a year ago.
“The sales value consists of wholesale trade (RM47.4bil), retail trade (RM38bil) and vehicles (RM12.3bil) businesses,” it said, adding the positive growth was contributed by retail trade (13.4%).
The department said the volume index of wholesale and retail trade rose 7.9% to 158.3 points in August from a year ago, underpinned by higher retail trade (11.9%).
The seasonally adjusted volume index of the wholesale and retail trade expanded 1.2% from July.
The volume index of wholesale trade increased by 6.2% to 169.4 points in August from a year ago.
Month-on-month, the volume index (seasonally adjusted) increased 3.8% as against the previous month.
“The sales value of wholesale trade business registered 8.9% growth to RM47.4bil as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. Month-on-month, sales value of this business increased 3.3%,” it said.
The volume index of retail trade rose 11.9% to 158.8 points in August from a year ago.
When compared to July, the sea- sonally adjusted volume index of retail trade recorded negative growth of 1.1%.
The retail trade business recorded a 13.4% increase in sales value to RM38bil from a year ago.
But when compared with July, this business registered a 0.7% decline.