BIDV Senior Executive Vice President Tran Phuong said it isa result of research by a team of ADB and BIDV experts.
This is the first time a Vietnamese financial institutionhas collaborated with ADB to make a comprehensive assessment report on theVietnamese financial market, covering the fields of banking, securities, andinsurance, he noted.
Looking back at 2021, the report states that the worldeconomy recovered quite quickly along with a rapid increase in inflation due tothe majority of countries reopening socio-economic activities. The globalfinancial market continued its fast recovery given the new normal condition andstrengthened confidence.
In that context, Vietnam's economy recovered quite quicklythanks to an appropriate change in epidemic prevention strategy, which allowedreopening from the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2021. As a result, growthin the quarter reached 5.22 percent, compared to minus 6.02 percent in the thirdquarter, helping the economy expand 2.58 percent for the entire year. Meanwhile,inflation was kept at a low level of 1.84 percent last year. Vietnam'sfinancial market maintained a positive growth momentum thanks to stablemacroeconomy and the implementation of fiscal and monetary policies in supportof people and businesses.
In the banking sector, combined pre-tax profit of 29 commercial banks that account for 80 percent of the market surged nearly 32 percent, while their operational costs reduced by 15 percent. At the same time, the banking sector continued with programmes on debt restructuring and supporting pandemic-affected customers with total value of 52 trillion VND in 2021 and 20-25 trillion VND in 2022.
However, the report points to emerging risks on the banking market such as rising potential bad debts, an increase in financial crimes, the downward adjustments on the stock market, or market manipulation.
Dr. Can Van Luc, Chief Economist of BIDV, said Vietnam’s economy is forecast to better recover this year to grow 5.5-6 percent. Such growth is also projected to come with high inflation rate at about 3.8-4.2 percent, he added.
Luc said the financial market will benefit from the recovery, with the banking industry’s profit expected to grow by 20-25 percent on an annual average and the insurance market sustaining its growth. The stock market, meanwhile, is forecast to make necessary adjustments to become more stable and healthier.