ISLAMABAD: The Secu­rities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) incorporated 1,290 companies in February, taking the total number of registered entities to 96,150.

The corporate sector regulator has stated that the February witnessed a growth of 26 per cent in registrations as compared to the previous month.

Around 75 per cent companies were registered as private limited, 22pc as single member while the remaining 3pc were incorporated as public unlisted companies and limited liability partnerships.

Trading sector took the lead with the incorporation of 195 companies, construction 166, services 148, information technology 139, tourism 119, food and beverages 60, real estate development 50, corporate agricultural farming 45, education 32, chemical, marketing and advertisement, and transport with 27 each, engineering, and fuel and energy with 24 each, pharmaceutical 23, textile 21, healthcare, and mining and quarrying with 20 each, communication 15, auto and allied 14, broadcasting and telecasting 13, logging 12, cables and electric goods 11 while 58 companies were registered in other sectors.

Foreign investment has been reported in 39 new companies with financers from Argentina, China, Denmark, Germany, Jordan, Kenya, Korea South, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Sweden and the US.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2019