HANOI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Up to 15,979 enterprises with total registered capital of 247.4 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 10.8 billion U.S. dollars) were set up in Vietnam in the first two months this year, down 14.6 percent in quantity, but up 25.4 percent in capital from the same period last year.

Of the new firms, 37.5 percent involved in wholesales and retails, 13 percent in manufacturing and processing industries, 12.5 percent in construction, and 8 percent in science, technology and consulting services, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment on Monday.

In the two-month period, 10,191 firms, which had temporarily ceased operations due to different difficulties, resumed their activities, up 48.2 percent on-year. Meanwhile, another 3,156 enterprises were dissolved, up 24.8 percent.

Vietnam saw 131,275 enterprises established with total registered capital of over 1,478 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 64.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, posting respective year-on-year rises of 3.5 percent and 14.1 percent.