ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 27,542 new companies in 2023-24, pushing the total number to 222,697.

In the outgoing fiscal year, the commission witnessed the incorporation of 780 companies related to corporate agricultural farming and 560 in the power generation business.

As digitalisation takes root in the SECP, a diverse range of companies have been registered online. The highest number, 4,129, is in the information technology sector, followed by 3,666 in trading, 3,302 in services, 2,992 in real estate development and construction, 1,346 in tourism, 1,177 in education, 1,103 in food & beverages, and 942 in e-commerce.

Among these, 58pc were registered as private limited companies, 39pc were registered as single-member companies, and the remaining 3pc were registered as public unlisted companies, not-for-profit associations, guarantee limited companies, trade organisations, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and foreign companies.

Foreign investment has been reported in 688 new companies, including those from Afghanistan and Nigeria, indicating a growing global interest in Pakistan’s business landscape.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2024