The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved regulatory changes aimed at further improving Pakistan’s position in the World Bank Group’s Business Ready (B-READY) assessment.
Pakistan ranked 17th out of 101 economies in the Business Entry category of the B-READY 2025 report, with a score of 86.64. The latest reforms are intended to address remaining gaps and bring the country’s business regulations closer to international standards.
Under the new measures, SECP will expand the automated exchange of updated company information with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) through application programming interfaces (APIs), in coordination with the Board of Investment. This is aimed at making compliance easier and reducing duplication for businesses.
SECP will also place information on environmental approvals and operating permits on its website after receiving the required data from relevant authorities. Businesses will be able to access these regulatory details from a single online source.
Information on government-funded programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and women entrepreneurs will also be made available through SECP’s digital platforms.
In addition, SECP will publish gender-related statistics on newly incorporated companies, including data on women shareholders, directors, chief executives and ultimate beneficial owners.
The measures are focused on areas where Pakistan can improve its B-READY score and strengthen its performance in future assessments.
