XN000022-1973-10-30 — Page 4

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Tuesday, October 30, 1973

OVER 30,000 COMPANIES REGISTERED IN HONG KONG

Another milestone was passed in the Companies Registry recently

when the total number of companies on the register exceeded 30,000 for

the first time.

Commenting on the rapid increase in the number of companies, the

Registrar of Companies, Mr. W. Hume said it had taken just over 100 years

for the first 10,000 companies to be incorporated since incorporation of

companies in Hong Kong began in 1865.

The next 10,000 companies appeared on the register in the following

five years - that is, from 1966 to 1971. "In little more than two years

since 1971 the number of local companies incorporated has risen by 10,000

to a total of over 30,000," said Mr. Hume,

Every company on the register is obliged to file a variety of

documents relating to its affairs, and the staff concerned often call at

the Companies Registry to inspect the files. "It will be appreciated,

therefore, that the Companies Registry is now much busier than it has ever

been at any time in its history," Mr. Hume added.

The documents that a company has to file are set out in a booklet

in both English and Chinese.

These booklets are issued free of charge to

all new companies and they are available at all times in the Companies

Registry.

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