More than 20,000 new companies opened in Ho Chi Minh City in the first nine months of the year, with the city's support policies have seen thousands of businesses resume operations.

The city's Tax Department reports that in the reviewed period, the number of companies that stopped operations was less than that of the newly registered and re-opened ones.

More than 20,700 new companies were established as of September, pushing the total number of companies in the city to more than 137,700.

During this period, more than 5,200 firms resumed operations, which is a positive sign for the city's economy, the department said.

It noted that the companies that resumed operations were mostly in trade, services, garment, and timber industries.

As of September, just 18,000 companies had closed shutters, significantly lower that similar figures last year.

The department attributed this result to the city being able to help enterprises overcome various challenges, particularly through preferential credit and tax policies.

These policies have helped companies re-plan their strategy and resume production, the report said.-VNA