In February 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 2,414 new companies, bringing the total number of registered companies to 187,569.
According to the sources, the total paid-up capital (capitalization) of the companies incorporated was Rs. 2.5 billion in February.
Approximately 57% of businesses had been registered as private limited companies, 40% as sole proprietorships, and 3% as limited liability partnerships (LLP), non-profit organizations, and unlisted public companies. Furthermore, nearly 99.9% of businesses registered online. The new registration includes four foreign companies and 94 companies formed by overseas foreign users.
The real estate development and construction sector led the way with 387 new companies, which were followed by technology (335), trading (299), and services (262). In addition, 120 companies were formed in the food and beverage industry, 118 in tourism, 100 in education, and 61 in e-commerce and engineering.
The other sectors with incorporations include
textiles (54 companies)
marketing and advertisement (53)
corporate agricultural farming (53)
healthcare (50)
chemicals (39)
pharmaceuticals (36)
transport (36)
auto & allied (31)
power generation (30)
mining & quarrying (28)
lodging (27)
fuel & energy (25)
communications (24)
cables and electrical goods (16)
broadcasting & telecasting (14)
paper & board (13)
11 companies registered in the arts and culture area (105 companies).
Moreover, the integration of SECP’s E-services with FBR and various provincial departments resulted in the registration of 2,327 companies with FBR for the creation of NTN, 45 companies with PESSI/SESSI, 89 companies with EOBI, 48 companies with the excise and taxation division.
Foreign investment in 56 new companies has been reported, with foreign investors from Afghanistan, China, Australia, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Ireland, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria, Switzerland, the UAE, the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Yemen.
With 27 companies, China received the most investment, followed by South Korea with 05, the United States and the United Kingdom with 04 each, Afghanistan and Germany with 3 each, Singapore and Japan with 2 each, and 8 companies from other countries.
In addition, the SECP has a dedicated WhatsApp service for immediate resolution of queries about name availability and incorporation procedures, and this month, approximately 1073 queries were answered with a 96 percent satisfaction rate.