Spain’s struggling car industry has made a new plea for the extension of the much-celebrated Plan2000E sales subsidy, arguing that it would help both reduce the country’s high unemployment rate and boost state coffers.
In a statement, leading dealers’ association Anfac said Plan2000E would help save nearly 17,000 jobs and save the government EUR171m in compensation for the country’s 4.6m unemployed.
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The pleas came after the government said it would not renew the plan, due to expire in June.
The scheme has been widely praised for helping slow a major sales decline last year and in the first half of 2010. Now industry observers are worrying its removal will trigger a new sales plunge in this recession-hit country.
Meanwhile, leading brands are scrambling to benefit from the final weeks of the current scheme by offering further discounts on top of the 2000E´s EUR2,000-off-the-sticker-price.
Brands such as Fiat, Seat and Hyundai are all offering such incentives, hoping to convince frugal Spaniards to buy their new cars before the subsidies run out.
