ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Securities and Exchange Commission registered 5,241 new companies in September, bringing the country's total number of registered companies to 317,002, the agency said Friday.
Nearly all new registrations — 99.9% — were completed online through the SECP's eZfile portal and integrated federal and provincial systems.
Private limited companies made up the largest share of new incorporations with 3,013, or 57.5%, followed by 2,058 single-member companies at 39.2%. The SECP also registered 127 limited liability partnerships, 29 Section 42 not-for-profit companies, 10 public companies, two trade organizations and two foreign companies.
Punjab accounted for 2,740 of the new registrations, or 52.3%, followed by the Islamabad Capital Territory with 1,009, Sindh with 790, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 428, Gilgit-Baltistan with 169 and Balochistan with 105.
The information technology sector recorded the most new incorporations at 920, followed by trading with 808, services with 599, construction with 339, food and beverages with 239, tourism with 222, real estate development with 193, education with 189, e-commerce with 179 and mining and quarrying with 127. Other sectors accounted for 1,426 incorporations.
Foreign investors participated in newly incorporated companies during September, with 167 investors from various countries. China accounted for the largest number with 113, followed by the United States with seven, the United Kingdom with six, Hong Kong with five, and Singapore and Saudi Arabia with three each. Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Germany, Canada, Spain, Thailand and Afghanistan each accounted for two investors, while 14 investors came from other countries. The group included 10 foreign body corporates and the remainder individual investors.
Gender-disaggregated data showed female representation at 14% among shareholders and directors, 11% among ultimate beneficial owners and 8% among chief executives. Male participation accounted for the remaining share in each category.
"Company incorporation is an important step towards building a formal, documented economy," SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said. "We are working to make the registration process simpler and more accessible, enabling entrepreneurs to establish businesses and contribute to economic growth."
