LIQUIDATIONS rose by a signficant 64,3% and insolvencies by nearly 33% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year, according to figures released on Thursday by Statistics South Africa. The number of liquidations for companies and close corporations rose in the first quarter from 649 to 1066. Compulsory liquidations of companies increased by 53,6%, while voluntary liquidations increased by 87,1%. In the case of close corporations, compulsory and voluntary liquidations rose by 70,15 and 48,5% respectively.