SECP sets record with 4,082 company registrations in April

Pakistan’s Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan said it recorded the highest monthly number of company registrations in its history, with 4,082 new companies incorporated in April.

The regulator said the latest registrations pushed the total number of registered companies in the country to 294,101.

The SECP also reported a new daily record, with 340 companies registered on April 30 alone.

According to the commission, investors from 22 countries registered companies in Pakistan during the month. Chinese investors accounted for the largest foreign participation, with 95 shareholders registering companies in the country.

The SECP said companies registered by Chinese investors had a combined paid-up capital of 193 million Pakistani rupees.

Punjab province led the country in new incorporations with 2,093 companies registered in April, followed by Islamabad with 719 companies, Sindh with 600 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 325, the regulator said.

Gilgit-Baltistan recorded 276 new company registrations, while 69 companies were registered in Baluchistan province.

The information technology and e-commerce sector accounted for the largest share of new registrations, with 832 companies incorporated during the month, according to the SECP.

The trading sector saw 757 new companies registered, followed by services with 490 and real estate and construction with 358.

Other sectors included tourism with 242 new companies, food and beverages with 158, education with 127 and textiles with 105, the regulator said.

SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Sidhu said the increase in company registrations reflected positive progress toward a more documented economy in Pakistan.