THE HAGUE, 02/05/07 - Last year, 90,000 businesses were started in the Netherlands. This was 12 percent more than in 2005, the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) reported yesterday.

Never have so many people started a business as last year. This was partly due to the large contribution of Polish entrepreneurs. In 2006, 3,350 Poles started a business in the Netherlands, up 30 percent from 2005.

In the building industry, the number of new businesses grew by nearly 35 percent. Small painting and odd-job businesses are particularly popular. Among the 3,350 Poles, 70 percent started this type of business.

The number of start-ups in the financial sector actually dropped 25 percent last year. One-third of all starters are women, and their average age is 37.

Poles are the biggest group of foreign entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. One in five of the foreigners starting a business in the Netherlands last year were of Polish origin.