Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that there were 543 new companies incorporated in the fourth quarter of 2008, down by 27.9% year-on-year, with the total registered capital declining notably by 87.7% to MOP79 million. Among these new companies, 173 were operating in Wholesale & Retail, and the registered capital amounted to MOP20 million. Meanwhile, a total of 142 companies were in dissolution, and the corresponding capital amounted to MOP59 million, of which 44 were operating in the Wholesale & Retail. For the whole year of 2008, there were 2,738 new incorporations, with the total registered capital amounting to MOP413 million, down by 19.6% and 58.5% respectively over 2007. On the other hand, number of companies in dissolution was 447, involving MOP529 million in registered capital.
In the fourth quarter of 2008, 405 new companies (74.6% of the total) were incorporated with the registered capital of less than MOP50,000, yet the respective capital (MOP11 million) made up merely 14.0% of the total. Meanwhile, there were 9 companies incorporated with registered capital more than MOP1,000,000 and the respective capital totalled MOP43 million (54.1% of the total). In addition, 83.4% of the new incorporations were limited companies.
In the fourth quarter of 2008, the majority of the capital of the new companies came from Macao (MOP44 million), Hong Kong (MOP18 million) and Mainland China (MOP7 million). Moreover, Guangdong Province (MOP2 million) topped the list of the capital coming from the Pan-Pearl River Delta provinces. For 2008 as a whole, a total of MOP230 million of capital of the new companies came from Macau, MOP99 million from Hong Kong and MOP46 million from Mainland China.
Analysed by the place of residence of the shareholders, 311 new incorporations in the fourth quarter of 2008 were established solely by Macao shareholders, 67 were joint ventures between shareholders from Macao and other countries/regions; meanwhile, 165 new companies were incorporated by shareholders from countries/regions other than Macao.
