Daily Times

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 2,477 new companies in October 2024. This brings the total number of companies registered in the country to 233,587, reflecting growing confidence in Pakistan’s corporate sector and its continued expansion.

The SECP’s ongoing drive towards digitization continued to be a success with 99 percent of the new company registrations processed through its efficient online system. This marks another step in the Commission’s efforts to provide a seamless, tech-driven regulatory environment that promotes transparency and supports ease of doing business in Pakistan, said a press release issued here on Thursday.

Of the total new registrations, the majority were private limited companies, which accounted for 57 percent of the total, while single-member companies represented 41 percent. The remaining 2 percent included public unlisted companies, not-for-profit organizations, trade organizations, and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

A closer look at sectoral growth reveals strong activity across a range of industries. The Information Technology and E-commerce sectors saw the largest increase, with 556 new companies. The Services sector followed closely with 486 new companies, Trading saw an increase of 388 while Real Estate Development and Construction recorded 270 new companies. Other sectors contributing to this growth included Food, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals with 270 new companies, Tourism and Transport with 174, and the Energy, Power and Fuel sector with 221 new registrations. 112 companies showed their existence in certain other sectors.

Foreign investment in the corporate sector also showed encouraging signs of growth, with 48 new companies receiving capital from international investors. These investors hailed from a diverse set of countries, including Afghanistan, China, France, Germany, Malaysia, Oman, and Turkey. Notably, China emerged as the largest investor, contributing to the establishment of 39 new companies, followed by Afghanistan with 4 companies. The remaining investments came from various countries, with each contributing one new company. The continued rise in foreign investment underscores the growing global confidence in Pakistan’s market potential and highlights the SECP’s role in facilitating a more open, competitive, and business-friendly environment.