OREANDA-NEWS. Measures of state support of automotive industry will enable to increase sales by not less than 300,000 vehicles before the end of the year, the head of Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said at a meeting of President Vladimir Putin with members of the government.

"Taking into account the experience of last year, as the downward trend in the market and production has been registered for the second year, we continued a program of demand stimulation through utilization  and trade-in programs. These are apart from those additional support measures that provide additional funding - 13 billion  rubles to federal departments, regions, municipalities, including the purchase of gas engine vehicles. We noticed a downward trend in the purchase of cars under utilization program in February and promptly took the decision to add an additional measure - so-called preferential car lending. 38,500 vehicles have already been sold for the first six months of the program,"- the Minister said.