SECP’s corporate portfolio touches 62,258 companies

Equity market watchdog registers 275 new entities in August.

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 275 new limited liability companies in August, bringing the total corporate portfolio to 62,258 companies, according to a press release.

In the corresponding month of last year, the number of companies registered by the SECP was 274. In addition to the companies registered, the SECP issued licences to three non-profit associations.

Around 88% companies were registered as private limited companies, while around 9% companies were registered as single-member companies. Around 1% of the companies had been registered as public limited companies and as associations during the month.



The trading sector took the lead in new registrations with incorporation of 36 companies this month, followed by services with 31, information technology with 23, construction with 20, corporate agricultural farming and tourism with 14 each and textile with 10 companies.

Foreign investment, however, was witnessed in 15 new companies. These companies have foreign investors from China, the United States, South Africa, Germany, Canada, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Japan and Mauritius, and belong to a range of sectors including trading, oil and gas marketing, engineering, construction, auto and allied, education, tourism, mining and quarrying and agricultural farming sectors.

In August, the most number of companies, 90, were registered at the company registration office (CRO) of Islamabad. It was followed by the CROs in Lahore and Karachi, registering 75 and 62 companies respectively. The Faisalabad and Peshawar CROs registered 15 and 14 companies respectively, while the CROs in Multan, Quetta and Sukkur registered 12, five and two companies respectively.

During the month, returns for increase in the authorised capital of 50 companies were accepted, with the total authorised capital increment of Rs2.48 billion. In addition, 74 companies filed returns for increase in the paid-up capital with the total enhancement amounting to Rs4.24 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th,  2013.

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