Entrepreneurs in prosperous Shenzhen City of Guangdong Province, south China, have been flocking to register private companies after being inspired by the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Spurred by the Party's determination to encourage and support the private sector, more than double the usual number of domestic private enterprises registered over the first six days of the congress, according to the local administration of industry and commerce.

In the four working days between November 8 and 13, the Futian District Bureau of Industry and Commerce approved 164 private enterprises and the figure in Bao'an District Bureau was 60, both more than double normal days.

An official of the Futian bureau said his office had received more than 200 visits and calls for consultation each day over the last two weeks.

The booming private economy has become major contributor to Shenzhen's steady economic growth. Sources with the Municipal Bureau of State Taxes said domestic private enterprises in Shenzhen turned in value-added taxes of 2.278 billion yuan (US$274.5 billion) in the first ten months of this year, a year-on-year rise of 54.61 percent.

The city has about 55,000 domestic private enterprises with a combined registered capital of 81.6 billion yuan (US$9.8 billion). They employ more than 1.4 million people and produce a total industrial output value of nearly 60 billion yuan (US$7.2 billion) a year.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2002)