The SECP says that more than 14,800 new businesses registered in Pakistan between July and October.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) stated on Wednesday that 14,802 new firms were registered in the first four months of the current fiscal year. They claimed this showed that investors were very confident in the corporate sector.
According to information from the SECP, 99.9% of these registrations were done online. The total number of firms established in Pakistan has now reached 272,918, and the total paid-up capital for the first four months of FY2025 was Rs20.59 billion (US $74.1 million).
The SECP noted that 59% of the new registrations were for private limited firms. Single-member corporations came in second with 37%. It further said that the other 4% were made up of public corporations that are not listed, not-for-profit groups, trade groups, and limited liability partnerships.
The SECP said, “The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 14,802 new companies in the first four months of the fiscal year 2025, showing that people are becoming more confident in the country’s business sector.”
The SECP noted that online registrations made it possible for business owners to register their enterprises without having to go to the SECP’s headquarters in person.
It added that besides big cities like Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi, a “significant number” of registrations, over 30 percent, came from about 250 other cities and towns in Pakistan.
“It includes Layyah, Burewala, Bhakkar, Pakpattan, Hasilpur, Chaman, Gwadar, Zhob, Turbat, Bannu, Kohat, Tank, Swat, Manshera, Thatta, Larkana, Dadu, Rohri, Hunza, and Gilgit, which shows how SECP’s digital services are reaching more people,” it said.
The Pakistani regulator reported that 7,476 firms were registered in the eastern Punjab province, 3,230 in Islamabad, 2,197 in Sindh, 1,320 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 337 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 242 in Balochistan.
The SECP noted, “The Information Technology and e-commerce industries led with 2,999 new incorporations, followed by trading (1,954), services (1,807), and real estate development and construction (1,393).
It said that other “active” sectors were tourism and transportation (1,042), education (787), food and drinks (751), mining and quarrying (346), marketing and advertising (342), textiles (327), pharmaceuticals (284), farming (242), health care (242), cosmetics and toiletries (229), engineering (236), fuel and energy (188), chemicals (184), and auto and allied (153).
The agency claimed that between July and October, 332 new enterprises got money from international investors in a variety of places.
The SECP stated it will start an awareness campaign to tell people in the business community about the benefits of incorporation.
It added that these benefits include less liability, being a separate legal organisation, more credibility, the opportunity to grow, the ability to pass on the business to future generations, organised governance, lower taxes, easier access to money, and better brand protection.