Uzdaewooavto plans 57% automobile output increase in 2005

Interfax November 2 UzDaewooAvto in Uzbekistan plans to build more than 110,000 automobiles in 2005 against the 70,000 it has planned for 2004, company general director and chairman of the Uzavtoprom (Uzavtosanoat) association Kudrat Parpiyev. Production projections are based on dealer requests, Parpiyev said. Expectations are that contracts with dealerships for 2005 will be signed in late October. The company plans to start working two shifts next year to meet its production targets. Of the planned 110,000 vehicles, 50,000 are destined for the home market and 60,000 for export. Russia is expected to get over 50,000 of the latter, other Commonwealth of Independent States countries the rest. Component supplies from GM Daewoo Auto & Technology (GM Daewoo), South Korea, will fully support production volume, Parpiyev said. At the end of 2002, he noted, UzDaewooAvto clinched a three-year components contract with GM Daewoo that can be extended if the parties agree. UzDaewooAuto in 2005 will continue production of the Nexia, Damas, and Matiz. It will continue to assemble the Lacetti which was transferred to GM Daewoo for a market study. It will assemble 1,000 of the cars that will be sold on the domestic market. Under the initial business plan, UzDaewooAuto planned this year to increase production by 55.5% from 2003 to 63,000 vehicles, but this was increased at mid-year to 70,000 vehicles.