SUZUKI CHANGES INDONESIAN UNIT'S NAME AND BOARD

Jakarta, Feb 15 (ANTARA) - The Suzuki trademark holder has changed the name of its unit in Indonesia from PT Indomobil Suzuki Internasional (ISI) to PT Suzuki Indomobil Motor (SIM) and replaced its chief Soebronto Laras who retired at the end of last year.
PT SIM, as a Suzuki car assembling company is now led by Yoshiji Terada , who in a press statement here on Sunday said that the name change was part of the company's effort to raise its trademark image in Indonesia to boost both car and motorcycle sales in the automotive market which is predicted to decline this year.
He said the company had also changed the name of its Suzuki distributor company from PT Indomobil Niaga International (IMNI) to PT Suzuki Indomobil Sales (SIS).
"The change is now still under legal process at the ministry of justice and human rights," Terada said, adding he hoped the process would be completed in April.
Terada said that since 2002 Suzuki Motor Corporation actually had already taken control of the ISI after buying 41 percent shares of its local partner, PT Indomobil Sukses Internasional, to make the Japanese principal company controlling 90 percent shares of the ISI.
Under the purchase contract at the time PT Indomobil Sukses Internasional actually had an option to buyback its shares until 2007 but it failed to take the option until the year.
"The fact is that it is not easy to conduct the buyback as the price has gone up," Soebronto Laras said when asked to confirm about it by ANTARA.
As a result, he said, the option expired and Suzuki controlled the ISI shares.
He said he was replaced by Terada not because the ISI shares were controlled by Suzuki but because he had to retire since October 2008 after he reached the retirement age of 65 years old.
Terada confirmed it saying that 65 was the retirement age for Suzuki employees worldwide.
Soebronto said "I am now the special advisor of the Suzuki boss in Japan and will not involve in the policy making in the company's operations in Indonesia.
The new ISI president director, Yoshiji, said he was optimistic he could secure around 13 percent of the car market in Indonesia or sell around 56,000 units in the market which is predicted to absorb between 400,000 and 450,000 units this year.
"We are going to concentrate on sales of cars with a small engine capacity. Until now Suzuki has had a good reputation in the world of producing small cars such as city car Karimun Estilo," he said.
PT Indomobil Niaga Internasional (IMNI) marketing director, Endro Nugroho, said in 2008 Karimun Estilo controlled 57 percent of city car market in the country and in January this year its market control rose to 72 percent with sales reaching 378 units.
"The current crisis will make people more rational and choose more fuel oil efficient cars and therefore we are optimistic Suzuki will be able to maintain its market control in Indonesia," he said.
In 2008 Suzuki car sales in Indonesia reached 73,000 units or 13 percent of the national car market that reached above 600,000 units.
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