Kathmandu, Sept. 27 -- With the lifting of the lockdown, new product launches and Dashain and Tihar schemes and offers, automobile dealers have become hopeful sales will pick up with the festive season.

Krishna Prasad Dulal, president of Nepal Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), said that the sector is expecting to hit the bulk of their yearly sales target-around 40 percent-during the festival time, with hopes that this will introduce a gradual pick up in sales.

With the lockdown in place, automobile import had declined by around 60 percent in the first two months of the current fiscal year, he said. But with the lift in restriction orders, the sector is looking for a positive start, he said.

In the past few months, the sales growth...