Romanians set up 79,251 firms in H1, 31 pct more than in 2016

Romanians set up 79,251 firms in the first semester of this year, up by 31 percent versus 2016, especially due to the growth by 37.2 percent of limited liability companies (SRL), according to the data published this Wednesday by the National Trade Registry (ONRC).

In the first semester of this year, the number of new SRLs increased by 37.2 percent compared with the same period of 2016, to 56,304, according to ONRC. The SRLs represent 71 percent of the overall new firms registered during January-June 2017.

The number of newly registered individual companies increased by 10.4 percent in the first six months of this year, to 13,412, after a drop in 2016.

The fall from 2016 was generated by the introduction of the mandatory payment of pension contribution for individual companies, from January 1,2016.

In the top counties and cities of the country, the leader stays Bucharest, with 11,472 firms registered in the first six months of this year, growing by 19.34 percent compared with the same period of 2016.

On the second place is Cluj, with 5,145 registrations, a growth by 62.71 percent and on the third place is Timis, with 3,588 newly set up firms.

On the fourth place is Bihor, with 3,291 registrations and on the fifth place is Ilfov, with 3,169 registrations.

The sector that attracts the highest number of new companies is the trade, with 15,543 firms and a share of 19.6 percent of the overall newly set up firms in the first six months.