SECP says over 14,800 new companies registered in Pakistan from July-October
Business
The SECP said private limited companies accounted for 59 percent of the new registrations single-member companies followed with 37 percent.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) said on Wednesday that 14,802 new companies were registered during the first four months of the current fiscal year, stressing the development signaled “strong” investor confidence in the corporate sector.
As per details shared by the SECP, 99.9 percent of these registrations were processed online. With these registrations, the total number of companies registered in Pakistan has risen to 272,918 while the total paid-up capital for the first four months of FY2025 stood at Rs20.59 billion [US $74.1 million].
The SECP said private limited companies accounted for 59 percent of the new registrations single-member companies followed with 37 percent. The remaining 4 percent comprised public unlisted companies, not-for-profit organizations, trade organizations and limited liability partnerships, it added.
“The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 14,802 new companies in the first four months of the fiscal year 2025, reflecting growing confidence in the country’s corporate sector,” the SECP said.
The SECP said online registrations meant entrepreneurs were able to incorporate their businesses without needing to physically visit the SECP’s headquarters.
It said that apart from urban centers such as Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, a “significant number” of registrations, nearly 30 percent, originated from approximately 250 other cities and towns across Pakistan.
“These include Layyah, Burewala, Bhakkar, Pakpattan, Hasilpur, Chaman, Gwadar, Zhob, Turbat, Bannu, Kohat, Tank, Swat, Manshera, Thatta, Larkana, Dadu, Rohri, Hunza, and Gilgit, reflecting the growing outreach of SECP’s digital services,” it said.
Giving a province-wide breakdown of the registrations, the Pakistani regulator said 7,476 companies were registered in the eastern Punjab province, 3,230 in Islamabad, 2,197 in Sindh, 1,320 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 337 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 242 in Balochistan.
“The Information Technology and e-commerce sectors led with 2,999 new incorporations, followed by trading (1,954), services (1,807), and real estate development and construction (1,393),” the SECP said.
It said other “active” sectors included tourism and transport (1,042), education (787), food and beverages (751), mining and quarrying (346), marketing and advertisement (342), textile (327), pharmaceuticals (284), agricultural farming (242), health care (242), cosmetics and toiletries (229), engineering (236), fuel and energy (188), chemical (184), and auto and allied (153).
The regulator said 332 newly registered companies received capital from international investors across diverse jurisdictions from July-October.
The SECP said it will launch an awareness drive to promote the advantages of incorporation within the business community.
It said these advantages include limited liability, separate legal entity status, enhanced credibility, scalability, perpetual succession, structured governance, tax efficiency, easier access to finance, and stronger brand protection.
