ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 328 new limited liability companies in October 2013, bringing the total corporate portfolio to 62,862 companies.

In the corresponding month, last year, 320 companies were registered.

In addition to registration of companies, the SECP granted licences to two not-for-profit associations.

Around 93 per cent companies registered as private limited companies, while around four per cent companies registered as single member companies.

About one per cent of the companies have been registered as public limited companies and as associations under Section 42 of the 1984 Companies Ordinance during the month.

The trading sector took the lead in new registrations with the incorporation of 46 companies during the month followed by services 42, tourism 31, information and technology 24, corporate agricultural farming 15, communications 14, construction 13, engineering 12 and education, food and beverages, transport 11 companies each.