SECP asked to fine-tune Companies Act.

LAHORE -- The CompaAnies (Amendment) OrdinaAnce, 2020 has significantly eased the corporate regulatory environment in line with regional practices, but the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) still needs to further improve the law.

The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) on Monday said the ordinance addresses a number regulatory issues contained in the Companies Act 2017, making the regulatory environment in the country more predictable, consistent and transparent.

'Foreign investors have always supported efforts to improve and ease the business regulatory environment for greater Ease of Doing Business (EoDB),' OICCI Chief Executive M Abdul Aleem said while commenting on the changes in the Act.

He urged the SECP to also address other challenges like reference to 'lineal ascendants and descendants' from the ambit of related parties facing the investors to attract sizable foreign direct investment (FDI) in the post Covid-19 global investment environment.

Some of the major issues addressed by the SECP through the ordinance include introduction of definition of start-ups as companies in existence for less than 10 years with...