Automobile Dacia maintains that its profitability currently exceeds last year's level, after exports in the first half of the year surged by almost 50%, to a level of above 112,000 units, boosted by car scrappage programmes implemented across Europe, Ziarul Financiar reported.

Dacia's financial figures point to a 60 mln-euro profit last year, with turnover topping 2 bn euros. Dacia's profit dropped by more than half last year from 2007 following a strike, a production halt for more than a month and after employees were sent on technical unemployment during certain periods.

Compared with 2008, the company has so far registered improved performance indicators, even in terms of net and operating margins. The evolution of demand, will be seen toward yearend, but until October the company has committed orders," according to Constantin Stroe, Dacia Automobile vice-president.

Stroe, also president of the Association of Romanian Carmakers, says the programmes meant to support the car industry in EU countries will be resumed under different formulas at the beginning of next year. "There will be other support systems," Stroe explained.

Source: Ziarul Financiar