In January 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 2,409 new firms, bringing the total number of registered companies to 185,173. During the month, 174 companies were registered in a single day, setting a new record. The reported paid-up capital of newly incorporated corporations was Rs 2.7 billion.
57% of the new firms were private limited corporations, 39% were single-member companies, and 3% were unlisted public companies, non-profit associations, trade organisations, and limited liability partnerships. The great majority of businesses were registered online, with 101 international users also enrolling.
With 407 new firms, the real estate development and construction industry was the largest sector for new business formations, followed by information technology (334), trading (321), services (250), and tourism (250). (99). Food and beverage, education, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, textiles, marketing & advertising, engineering, healthcare, and chemical manufacturing were among the other areas with a large number of new company registrations.
In 62 new companies, investors from Afghanistan, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Singapore, Switzerland, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States were recorded. China contributed the most foreign investment, with 32 firms, followed by Chile and Canada, each with three enterprises.
As a result of the integration of the SECP with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other provincial agencies, 2,255 firms were registered with the FBR for the creation of a National Tax Number (NTN), 40 firms were registered with the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), 41 firms were registered with the Provincial Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI/SESSI), and 30 firms were registered with the excise and revenue department.
