SECP offers fee relief to unlisted companies

KARACHI: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has announced a fee relief package to encourage unlisted companies to convert their physical shares into digital form.

According to the regulator, companies with paid-up capital of up to Rs25 million will receive a one-year waiver on annual fees for digitising their shares. The SECP also announced that security deposits and conversion fees will be waived during the first year.

For companies with paid-up capital above Rs25 million, only the annual fee will be applicable, the SECP said.

The commission added that companies voluntarily converting their physical shares into digital form will also benefit from the fee relief.

The SECP has made it mandatory for unlisted companies to convert their physical shares into book-entry (digital) form. It said companies will also be required to digitise shares for corporate actions such as bonus issues, rights shares, and share buybacks.

The regulator stated that the move toward digital shares will help reduce disputes and make the system more efficient.

Pakistan Sees 29% Surge In New Company Registrations: SECP

New company registrations in Pakistan recorded a 29 percent increase, reflecting improving investor confidence, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

During the first six months of the current fiscal year, a total of 21,668 new companies were registered across Pakistan. These companies collectively generated paid-up capital of Rs30.7 billion, the SECP reported.

With these additions, the total number of registered companies in Pakistan has risen to 279,724.

The IT and e-commerce sector led the growth, with 4,277 new companies registered, making it the most active segment during the period.

According to the SECP spokesperson, 524 newly registered companies included foreign investment, amounting to Rs1.26 billion.

In terms of country-wise contribution, China topped the list, accounting for 71 percent of total foreign investment in new companies, the SECP said.

Officials say the upward trend indicates growing trust in Pakistan’s regulatory framework and improving ease of doing business, particularly in technology-driven sectors.