Suzuki Resumes Operations in Pakistan
Pak Suzuki has announced to resume its operations in the country after a break, spanning over two-and-half months. The company shut down its plant on March 23, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company makes announcement of operations resumption in a notification to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).
In its notification, the company said it will follow all government-imposed SOPs to ensure the safety of all of its employees. “The company will do everything to stop the spread of this deadly virus in its premises,” the notification read.
Due to coronavirus pandemic, Suzuki has faced huge losses in the last three months. According to Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) report, the company sold zero vehicles in April. Meanwhile, the company sold 78 Swift, 922 Cultus, 386 Wagon R and 386 Bolan cars in May 2020. In comparison, the company sold 425 Swifts, 2,546 Cultus, 2,765 Wagon R and 1,270 Bolan in May 2019.
The data shows, Swift saw a sale drop of 82 percent, while Cultus and Wagon R, witnessed a decline of 75 percent of in sales as compared to May 2019.
PAMA further said only 3,800 cars were sold in May 2020 as compared to 15,428 units in the same month in 2019. During the first 11 months of the fiscal year (July-May), car sales dropped to 54 percent to 89,130 cars as compared to 192,863 units sold during the corresponding period last year. Earlier, PAMA reported that Toyota, Honda, and Suzuki did not sell a single unit in April 2020.
The ease in countrywide lockdown has proved to be a positive sign for the industry. The industry is expected to increase its sales, expecting a surge in demand by local consumers. Just like the remaining automobile industry, Suzuki is trying to balance its business amid the global pandemic.