Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 790 new companies were incorporated in the fourth quarter of 2012, down by 86 year-on-year; total value of registered capital increased by 52.6% to MOP159 million, attributable to a 232% surge in that of Wholesale and Retail. The majority of new incorporations were operating in Wholesale and Retail (272), Business Services (144) and Real Estate (111). In the fourth quarter of 2012, companies in dissolution totalled 119 and the value of registered capital amounted to MOP48 million. Analysed by place of residence of the shareholders, in the fourth quarter of 2012, capital of the new companies came mainly from Macao (MOP67 million); Mainland China (MOP66 million), including MOP13 million from the 9 Provinces of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region, and Hong Kong (MOP9 million). Analysed by combination of the shareholders, there were 503 new companies established solely by Macao shareholders, and 91 joint ventures between shareholders from Macao and other countries or regions. For the whole year of 2012, a total of 3,612 new companies were incorporated, up by 207 year-on-year; total value of registered capital decreased by 38.0% to MOP609 million. The majority of new incorporations were operating in Wholesale and Retail, totalled 1,285, up by 57 year-on-year. There were 2,452 new incorporations (67.9% of total) registered with capital under MOP50,000 and the total value of capital amounted to MOP64 million only; however, there were 106 new companies registered with capital of MOP1,000,000 or over, and the total value of capital amounted to MOP399 million (65.5% of total). In 2012, number of companies in dissolution totalled 501 and the value of registered capital amounted to MOP112 million, down by 2.0% and 63.3% respectively year-on-year. The companies in dissolution were predominantly engaged in Wholesale and Retail (190). At the end of 2012, number of registered companies totalled 39,787, an increase of 3,104 from the end of 2011, 36,683.
