ISLAMABAD – The company registration by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) recorded a significant milestone in January 2021 with the registration of 2,201 new companies, bringing the total number of registered entities in the country to 134,797, according to an official statement released on Monday.
A majority of the incorporations were done online, with 98 percent of the companies completing their registration through SECP’s digital platforms. Notably, approximately 30 percent of applicants completed the incorporation process within the same day, reflecting the growing efficiency and accessibility of the company registration system.
Of the new incorporations, around 69 percent were registered as private limited companies, while nearly 3 percent were registered as public unlisted companies, not-for-profit associations, foreign companies, or Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs). A total of 66 foreign users successfully completed company registration from overseas locations, further underlining SECP’s role in attracting international interest in Pakistan’s corporate sector.
The top sectors for new company formations during January included trading (314 companies), information technology (269), construction (227), services and allied sectors (188), and e-commerce (79). Additionally, 1,124 companies were registered across various other sectors.
Foreign investment was reported in 44 new companies, with investors from countries including China, Malaysia, Sweden, South Africa, Norway, the Netherlands, Turkey, the UK, and the US.
SECP’s newly launched Company Registration Office (CRO) in Islamabad made headlines by facilitating 837 company registrations, the highest number ever achieved by a single registration office in a month, marking a 24 percent increase in new incorporations. The Islamabad business center is fully equipped to process applications efficiently and aims to enhance the user experience and ease of doing business.
Other CROs also contributed significantly: Lahore registered 623 companies, Karachi 319, Peshawar 156, Multan 122, Faisalabad 56, Gilgit-Baltistan 53, Quetta 22, and Sukkur 13, showing widespread growth in company registration across Pakistan.
This continued upward trend in registration reflects the improving confidence in Pakistan’s regulatory environment and business climate.