Of the licenses issued, 2,105 were renewals while 431 were for new businesses.
From January to July 2007, there were 2,061 renewals of which 598 were for new licenses.
Last month, 283 licenses were issued to businesses — 42 were new applicants and 222 were renewals.
In July 2007 — there were 70 new applicants and 213 renewals, for a total of 283.
Last June, 246 licenses were issued compared to 262 during the same period last year.
Last March and May had the lowest figures so far this year.
Only 278 licenses were issued in May 2008 compared to last year’s 344; only 215 renewed their licenses compared to 243 last year; and only 63 applied for new licenses compared to 101 last year.
Last March, the government issued 340 licenses compared to 415 during the same period last year.
Renewals during the same month also dropped from last year’s 322 to 297.
There were 93 new business licenses issued last year compared to only 43 this year.
Last February, 478 licenses were issued compared to 484 during the same period last year.
In 2007, the government issued 4,395 licenses of which 3,360 were renewals and 1,035 were new applicants.
For the first seven months of this year, the government had issued 2,536 licenses — 2,105 renewals and 431 for new applicants.
