ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 2,365 new companies in September 2020, indicating an increase of 69 % as compared to corresponding period last year.

Out of these newly registered, 68 percent companies were registered as private limited companies, 29% were registered as single member companies and three percent were registered as public unlisted companies, not for profit associations, under section 43 and limited liability partnership (LLP). This month 99% companies registered online in September 2020, while 40% of the companies were registered same day.

The trading sector took the lead with incorporation of 414 companies, followed by construction with 294 companies. A total 289 companies were registered in IT sector, 226 in services, 139 in the real estate, 87 companies in food and beverages, 73 in corporate agricultural farming, 70 in ecommerce and 69 companies registered in tourism sector. Sixty three companies registered in education sector, 61 in engineering, 59 in pharmaceutical, 46 in textile, 42 in transport, 38 in marketing and advertisement, 37 in chemical, 28 in logging, 35 in mining & quarrying, 33 in healthcare, 26 companies in each power generation,  cables & electric goods, 24 each in fuel & energy, 21 in communications, 19 each in auto & allied and paper/board, 17 each in broadcasting & telecasting, and cosmetics & toiletries, 14 in steel and allied and 73 companies were registered in other sectors.

During September, foreign investment has been reported in 43 new companies. These companies have foreign investors from, Australia, China, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, the US and Yamen.

The highest numbers of companies, i.e. 812 were registered in Islamabad, followed by 764 and 348 companies registered in Lahore and Karachi respectively. The CROs in Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Quetta and Sukkur registered 183, 97, 64, 62, 33 and 02 companies, respectively.