SECP registers 2,993 companies in March, up 11pc YoY

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 2,993 new companies in March, reflecting an 11 per cent increase compared to the same month last year.

According to the SECP, nearly all of these registrations — around 99.9pc — were completed online through its eZfile portal. With the latest additions, the total number of registered companies in the country has risen to 290,041.

The regulator said the total paid-up capital of the newly incorporated companies stood at Rs2.80 billion, pointing to continued investment activity in a range of sectors.

Company types and regional distribution

Private limited companies made up the largest share of new registrations in March, accounting for 57pc of the total. Single-member companies followed with 39pc, while the remaining 4pc comprised public unlisted companies, not-for-profit organisations and limited liability partnerships.

Punjab recorded the highest number of new company registrations during the month with 1,488 companies. It was followed by Islamabad Capital Territory with 552, Sindh with 447, Gilgit-Baltistan with 233, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 224, and Balochistan with 49.

IT and e-commerce lead sector-wise registrations

On a sectoral basis, Information Technology and e-commerce remained the top-performing segment, with 606 new companies registered in March.

Trading ranked second with 542 new companies, followed by services with 366 and real estate development and construction with 264.

Other sectors that saw notable activity included tourism and transport, which added 153 companies, and food and beverages with 149. The education sector recorded 112 new companies, while textile registered 65, mining and quarrying 60, corporate agricultural farming 58, and marketing and advertisement 58.

The engineering sector added 51 companies, healthcare 49, cosmetics and toiletries 47, fuel and energy 43, pharmaceuticals 41, chemicals 38, communications 32, and auto and allied 25.

A further 234 companies were registered across other sectors, including cables and electrical goods, sports, and paper and board.

Overseas investment

The SECP also said foreign investment remained encouraging during the month. A total of 58 newly registered companies received investment from overseas investors.

The latest figures indicate continued business incorporation activity across provinces and sectors, with digital registration remaining the dominant mode for new company enrolments.