XN000022-1982-12-26 — Page 4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1982

3.

BUSY BUSINESS YEAR FOR HK

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A TOTAL OF 14 850 NEW COMPANIES WERE INCORPORATED IN HONG KONG DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 1982, 312 LESS THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S RECORD OF 15 162, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

THEIR AGGREGATE NOMINAL CAPITAL WAS ABOUT $4.67 BILLION, COMPARED WITH ABOUT $5.09 BILLION FOR THE COMPANIES WITH SHARE CAPITAL INCORPORATED IN FISCAL 1980-81.

MOST OF THEM, TOTALLING 6 607, HAD NOMINAL CAPITAL FROM $10 000 TO $50 000 WHILE 74 OF THEM HAD NOMINAL CAPITAL OF $10 MILLION AND ABOVE.

IN THE PRECEDING YEAR, THERE WERE 6 738 AND 80 COMPANIES IN THESE TWO CAPITAL RANGES.

BUT THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT MANY COMPANIES WERE INCORPORATED WITH LOW CAPITAL PENDING FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.

DURING THE YEAR 840 COMPANIES WERE DISSOLVED, LEAVING 99 149 COMPANIES ON THE GOVERNMENT REGISTER.

THE NUMBER OF FOREIGN-INCORPORATED COMPANIES WITH BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS IN HONG KONG ROSE BY 141 TO 1 574, COVERING 56 COUNTRIES.

THE UNITED STATES LED WITH 365 COMPANIES, FOLLOWED BY BRITAIN WITH 219, JAPAN WITH 171, AUSTRALIA WITH 111 AND SINGAPORE WITH 95.

THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREIGN COMPANIES RANGED FROM MANUFACTURING, BANKING AND INSURANCE TO HOTEL OPERATIONS, IMPORT AND EXPORT, PUBLISHING AND SHIPPING.

DURING THE YEAR, A RECORD NUMBER OF 6 166 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE MARKS, 469 MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS RECORD TOTAL OF 5 697 IN 1980-81.

HONG KONG LED WITH 701 APPLICATIONS, FOLLOWED BY THE UNITED STATES WITH 677, JAPAN WITH 300 AND BRITAIN WITH 289.

IN ALL 2 920 TRADE MARKS WERE REGISTERED AND 2 473 RENEWED, ERINGING THE TOTAL ON THE REGISTER TO 37 843.

FEES COLLECTED BY THE TRADE MARKS REGISTRY EXCEEDED $4 MILLION DURING THE YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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