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Staff Reporter

PALMA
THE number of Chinese businesses in the Pere Garau district of Palma during the last year has increased by 45 percent, according to a study by PIMECO (the small and medium sized businesses association) of businesses run by Chinese people selling south east Asian products.

The study says that the growth of the “Chinese business” is an increasing reality in the area of Pere Garau and in the rest of the city, as well as in the towns outside Palma. In addition to this, these businesses have recently expanded their activity to incorporate businesses aimed at providing various services.

PIMECO, as the organisation which aspires to represent all the businesses on Majorca, have embarked on a new way of working with the aim of easing the integration of these businesses, and to support them in every way, in order to guarantee their compliance with the regional laws governing businesses.

This is an objective which will have positive repercussions on the sector, a spokesman said, as it could improve their relationship with the other businesses in the area and avoid possible friction with local business people.

In the study of the Pere Garau area (2005-2006), 27 establishments run by Chinese people and with Chinese staff were identified. In the month of July 2007 the number of Chinese establishments had risen to 39.

The Calle Arquebisbe Aspareg contains some 35 percent of the total Chinese businesses in the area, and is the road with the most Chinese shops in it.
Calle Nuredduna has 29 shops, of which three are Chinese. Calle Francesc Garcia Orell has 21 shops, of which four are Chinese.
Calle Francesc Manel de los Herreros has 42 establishments, with nine of them being run by Chinese people.
The Plaza de Pere Garau has 22 shops, of which four are Chinese run, and the Plaza Teniente Coronel Franco has 17 shops, of which two are Chinese. That is to say, of a total of 180 establishments in the Pere Garau area, 39 are Chinese run, which is a total of 22 percent.

According to the commercial census in 2000, and the study of businesses in Pere Garau done by PIMECO with the collaboration of the Balearic Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the number of businesses in the area was 188, and there were just two run by Chinese people, one percent of the total. By January 1 2006 the number of businesses was 180 and the number run by Chinese people was 27, representing 15 percent of the total.

At July 31 this year there were 180 establishments, of which 39 were run by the Chinese, some 22 percent of the total businesses in Pere Garau.