Small-time garages and retailers are businesses most likely to go bust

Newly set up companies dominate construction and industrial processing firms, as well as financial intermediation and health care, according to the latest data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS). However, the number of newly registered companies in communes and the Domestic Court Register (KRS) has been dropping steadily for a few years. In the first half of 2004, there were over 120,000 newly-launched businesses, which is a drop of 6.8% in comparison to year before. At the same time the number of closed firms amounted to 96,000, which is 16.1% more than in 2003. The highest drop was observed in retail and wholesaling trades, garages and household appliances repairers. The result is a decreasing number of small, one-person owned businesses in the country. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B1) M.M.