ISLAMABAD - Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 270 companies last month as private sector maintains increasing registration trend for the last about four months. According to an official statement of the SECP, the increasing trend in new incorporation was evident from the registration figures since November 2009, and 189, 237 and 254 companies were incorporated in November, Dec, 2009 and January 2010 respectively. After the latest incorporation, the total corporate portfolio as on February 29, 2010 comprises 54,927 companies registered with the companies registration offices of the SECP across the country. Total 270 companies incorporated during February, 2010, comprising 3 public unlisted companies, 259 private companies and 8 single member companies. Authorised capital and paid up capital of companies incorporated during Feb 2010 amounted to Rs 1,761.81m and Rs 426.58m, respectively. During February 2010, the highest number of companies was incorporated at Karachi and Lahore, wherein 93 companies each have been registered, followed by Islamabad registering 63 companies. Faisalabad, Peshawar, Multan and Quetta registered 10, 6, 4, and 1 companies respectively. Sector-wise classification of total 270 companies reveals that major share of the new incorporation was witnessed in the trading sector wherein 48 companies were registered, followed by 43 in services, 22 in tourism, 19 in information technology, 16 in construction, and 13 in food and beverages sector. During last month, the SECP granted licences to 2 associations not for profit under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984, of which one is related to healthcare and other for promotion of education. Of the 270 companies registered during last month, 13 companies have foreign investment. Foreign investors in these companies belong to USA, UK, UAE, China Italy, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Of these 13 companies, 3 companies each are registered in trading and services sector, 2 companies in construction, one company each in information technology, tourism, transport, communication, and sugar and allied sector.