SECP registers 3,444 new firms in February, total tally hits 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.

As per SECP, private limited companies accounted for 59% of the new registrations, followed by single-member companies at 38%.

“The remaining 3% comprised public unlisted companies, not-for-profit organisations, limited liability partnerships, and foreign companies,” the press release released on Friday said.

Foreign investment remained robust, with 82 newly incorporated companies receiving international shareholding.

China emerged as the leading source of investment with participation in 44 companies, followed by the United States with investments in seven companies.

The press release said that 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 investment originated from Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Jordan, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, the Philippines, Turkey, Portugal, Belgium, and other countries.”

The primary destinations for foreign investment were the mining and quarrying, trading, and information technology sectors, indicating sustained international interest in Pakistan’s natural resources, commercial markets, and expanding digital economy, SECP added.

From a provincial perspective, Punjab led with 1,696 new companies, followed by the Islamabad Capital Territory with 656, Sindh with 555, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 317, Gilgit-Baltistan with 174, and Balochistan with 46.

READ MORE: SECP issues list of 24,958 inactive companies

Sector-wise, the information technology and e-commerce sectors remained the leading drivers of growth with 723 new incorporations, followed by the trading sector with 531 registrations, services with 434, and real estate development and construction with 323 new companies.

Further diversification was observed across multiple sectors, including tourism and transport (194), food and beverages (165), education (107), mining and quarrying (79), textile (69), marketing and advertisement (64), chemicals (58), pharmaceuticals (58), corporate agricultural farming (57), healthcare (56), engineering (52), cosmetics (50), communications (44), fuel and energy (42), lodging (37), and auto-allied industries (35).

In addition, 266 companies were incorporated across various other sectors, including cables and electric goods, sports, and paper and board, reflecting the continued broadening of Pakistan’s industrial and business base.