Number of newly incorporated companies in Macao decrease in Q3

MACAO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 638 new companies were incorporated in Macao in the third quarter of 2008, a decrease of 27.1 percent over last year, according to the figures released on Friday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

The figures showed that total registered capital of these companies declined by 62.5 percent year-to-year to 66 million patacas (8.25 million U.S. dollars) in the period. Among these new companies, 209 were operating in Wholesale and retail, 114 in Construction and 108 in Business services.

In the third quarter of 2008, 466 new companies (73 percent of the total) were incorporated with registered capital of 50,000 patacas (6,250 U.S. dollars) or less. There were seven new companies incorporated with registered capital of one million patacas (125,000 U.S. dollars) or more.

The DSEC said the majority of the capital of the new companies mainly came from Macao, the Chinese mainland, and Hong Kong. China's Guangdong Province topped the list of the capital coming from the Pan-Pearl River Delta provinces.

Meanwhile, the number of dissolution of companies totaled 99 in the period, among which, 35 were operating in Wholesale and retail and 24 in Real estate.