Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
– Party General Secretary To Lam on January 8 urged the unity of perception and action to advance economic reform, along with more drastic and comprehensive measures in economic management to ensure that the country firmly enters into a new era of prosperity and development.
Addressing a conference in Hanoi to review the operations of the Government and local administrations in 2024 and sketch out tasks for 2025, the Party leader emphasised the need to prioritise streamlining the political system, noting that this does not simply mean downsizing but also demands extensive reforms in state governance, increased transparency, and enhanced decentralisation. Read full story
– The Government and its members, and leaders of ministries and localities commit to successfully completing all tasks set for 2025, an important year with many significant events of the nation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed at a conference held in Hanoi on January 8 to review the Government and local administrations’ performance in 2024 and launch tasks for 2025.
The Government will prioritise promoting economic growth in tandem with stabilising the macroeconomy, controlling inflation, and ensuring major balances of the economy, PM Chinh said, stating ministries, sectors, and localities must strive for an economic growth target of at least 8% for 2025. Read full story
– Vietnam always attaches importance to and wishes to promote friendship and win-win multi-faceted cooperation with nations that are its traditional friends, including Uzbekistan, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang told her Uzbek counterpart Ilkhom Khaydarov during their phone talks on January 7.
The two officials agreed on the need to maintain meetings and delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high level, to further strengthen political trust, laying the foundation to promote cooperation in areas matching their countries' strengths and potential, particularly trade, investment, tourism, transport, education - training, and science - technology. Read full story
– Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the real estate sector for 2024 reached 3.72 billion USD, making up 18.8% of the total FDI that Vietnam attracted in the year, second only to the manufacturing sector, reported the General Statistics Office (GSO).
When combining both new and added capital from previously approved projects, the total FDI in the real estate sector hit 5.09 billion USD, accounting for 15.1% of the total FDI Vietnam attracted in the year. Read full story
– As the US prepares for a power transition, the future of Vietnam-US trade cooperation hangs in the balance, filled with both opportunities and challenges, heard a seminar co-hosted by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), the US-Vietnam Business Council, and the Institute for Vietnam Initiatives (IVI) on January 8.
ITPC Deputy Director Cao Thi Phi Van revealed that two-way trade surpassed 132 billion USD last year, with Vietnam's exports to the US reaching nearly 119 billion USD, marking a 23.3% increase year-on-year. Imports from the US totaled 13 billion USD, up 7.3%. Read full story
– The Ministry of Industry and Trade emerged as the top performer among ministries regarding public and business service delivery in 2024, achieving a score of 83.15 points, a 6.6% improvement from the previous year, according to the Government Office.
The Ministry of National Defence secured the second position with 80.87 points, showing a 4.3% increase, while Vietnam Social Security claimed the third place with 80.33 points, up 15.1% from 2023. Read full story
– European business leaders are increasingly opstimistic about the economic prospects of Vietnam whose position as a crucial link in Southeast Asia continues strengthen despite a turbulent global landscape, according to the Q4 2024 Business Confidence Index (BCI) report released by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham Vietnam) on January 8.
The BCI score surged from 46.3 in Q4 2023 to 61.8 in Q4 2024, reflecting a positive sentiment in both current and future outlooks while demonstrating Vietnam’s extraordinary resilience amidst ongoing operational hurdles and global economic uncertainties. Read full story
– Credit growth across the banking sector reached 15.08% as of the end of 2024, exceeding the year’s target of 15%, according to Standing Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Dao Minh Tu.
At the press conference held in Hanoi on January 7 highlighting the central bank’s operation in 2024 and tasks for this year, Tu said outstanding loans totalled 15.6 quadrillion VND (approximately 614.6 billion USD), marking an increase of over 2 quadrillion VND as compared to 2023. The credit growth primarily focused on production, business operations, and priority sectors of the economy. Read full story
– The Danang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2025 will take place from May 31 to July 12 under the theme Danang - The New Rising Era.
To be organised by Sun Group and the city's authorities, this year's event promises to be the largest and longest edition ever. Read full story./.
