IT firms are a fifth of Pakistan's new companies, and a single owner is behind two in five
SECP registered 5,003 companies in October, 238 fewer than in September. Information technology led every sector with 991, or 19.8 percent.
One in five of the companies registered in Pakistan in October was an information technology firm. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan registered 5,003 new companies, and IT led with 991, or 19.8 percent. That is the highest IT share of the past three months, up from 18.3 percent in August and 17.6 percent in September.
Trading followed with 767 and services with 594. Punjab accounted for 2,663 registrations, Islamabad 934, Sindh 751, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 382, Gilgit Baltistan 162 and Balochistan 111. The register now holds 321,794 companies, and 99.9 percent of the new ones were filed online through the eZfile portal.
A smaller month, a larger IT share
October was 4.5 percent below September's 5,241. IT moved the other way, from 920 to 991, a rise of 71. In August the commission registered 4,761 companies, 872 of them in IT.
Who is registering
Private limited companies made up 55.4 percent of the month and single member companies 41.6 percent, which works out to roughly 2,080 firms with one owner. In September the count was 2,058, or 39.3 percent, so the share has risen.
Foreign investors took part in 173 registrations, 129 of them from China. That is 74.6 percent of the foreign total, against 113 of 167, or 67.7 percent, in September. Women were 13 percent of shareholders and directors, 11 percent of ultimate beneficial owners and 8 percent of chief executives.
SECP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said the rise reflects growing investment in the country and that the commission is digitising corporate compliance to make doing business easier.
What a registration shows
A single member company lets one person own a limited liability company without partners. That is a practical form for a freelancer or small software shop that needs a company bank account and a contract a foreign client will sign. SECP's published breakdown does not cross tabulate company type by sector, so the figures cannot show how many of the 991 IT firms have one owner.
A registration is also not a trading business. The count measures incorporations, not firms that file accounts, pay tax or employ staff. The register grew by 4,792 over the month, from 317,002 to 321,794, which is 211 fewer than the 5,003 new registrations, so some companies also left it. SECP's monthly note does not say how many IT firms stay active or reach export earnings. It published September's count on 9 October and October's on 5 November.
