SECP registers 3,444 companies in February, total reaches 287,049

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 3,444 new companies in February, bringing the total number of registered companies in the country to 287,049.

According to the regulator, private limited companies accounted for 59 percent of the new registrations, while single-member companies represented 38 percent. The remaining 3 percent included public unlisted companies, not-for-profit organisations, limited liability partnerships and foreign companies.

Foreign participation remained visible in the corporate sector, with 82 newly incorporated companies reporting international shareholding. China was the largest source of foreign investment, participating in 44 companies, followed by the United States with investments in seven companies.

Investors from Palau and Germany participated in three companies each, while Egypt, the United Kingdom, Australia, Afghanistan, Yemen and Indonesia invested in two companies each. Additional participation came from Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Jordan, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, the Philippines, Turkey, Portugal and Belgium.

The SECP said foreign investment was mainly directed towards mining and quarrying, trading and information technology, indicating continued international interest in Pakistan’s resource, commercial and digital sectors.

Provincially, Punjab recorded the highest number of new registrations with 1,696 companies, followed by the Islamabad Capital Territory with 656. Sindh registered 555 companies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 317, Gilgit-Baltistan 174 and Balochistan 46.

Sector-wise, information technology and e-commerce remained the leading areas of incorporation with 723 new companies, followed by trading with 531, services with 434 and real estate development and construction with 323.

Other sectors also recorded new registrations, including tourism and transport with 194 companies, food and beverages with 165, education with 107, mining and quarrying with 79, textile with 69, marketing and advertisement with 64, chemicals and pharmaceuticals with 58 each, corporate agricultural farming with 57 and healthcare with 56.

Further incorporations were recorded in engineering with 52 companies, cosmetics with 50, communications with 44, fuel and energy with 42, lodging with 37 and auto-allied industries with 35.

The regulator said an additional 266 companies were registered across other sectors, including cables and electric goods, sports and paper and board, reflecting continued diversification in the corporate sector.