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If the crediting of car sales grows, cars sales could rise by 20-30% in 2010. The Ukrainian market for new cars in 2010 could either remain at this year's level (165,000-170,000 cars) or fall by about 5% under the current legal conditions, experts on the car market have said.

"I suppose car sales could be at the 2009 level next year under the condition that no laws [on additional fees, duties] that could break the market are adopted. But it [the market] could fall by over 5%," Oleh Nazarenko, the director general of the All-Ukrainian Association of Automobile Importers and Dealers (VAAID) said at a panel discussion on the car market's problems.

According to Nazarenko, "the hope of economic recovery and the renovation of the crediting of buyers" could save the market.

At the same time, according to Nazarenko, taking into consideration the unfavorable crediting conditions proposed by Ukrainian banks (high interest rates, large first contributions), "it is not the banks, but the car dealers that will control crediting" next year.

"I think that in 2010, to support sales, the financial structures of practically all car producers will come here. They will check borrowers thoroughly, but offer credits with almost zero rates," Nazarenko said, adding that several similar programs are working in Ukraine (in particular Renault Finance and Nissan Finance).

Explaining the interest of car producer financial structures in the Ukrainian car market, Nazarenko said that today it is unprofitable for producers to significantly reduce output, as car prices are growing.

Nazarenko said that if the crediting of car sales grows, cars sales could rise by 20-30% in 2010.