FDI remains vital contributor to boost economic growth

Foreign direct investment (FDI) remains one of the most vital drivers of national economic growth, recording remarkable results in 2024.

FDI remains vital contributor to boost economic growth. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
FDI remains vital contributor to boost economic growth. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign direct investment (FDI) remains one of the most vital drivers of national economic growth, recording remarkable results in 2024.

This area has emerged as a notable highlight, promising to make an important contribution to expanding the economic growth rate by above 7% as targeted for this year. It is expected to set the stage for realising growth objectives outlined for 2025.

Foreign investors poured nearly 4.12 billion USD into Vietnam in November this year. This lifted the total registered FDI in the past 11 months, including new and additional investments, and capital contributions via share purchases, to nearly 31.4 billion USD, marking a year-on-year increase of 1%.

In the January-November period, a total of 21.68 billion USD was disbursed, up 7.1% against the same period last year. Foreign investors invested in 18 out of 21 sectors of the national economy, with the processing and manufacturing industry leading the way.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) reported that foreign investment capital has continued to flow into localities with advantages in attracting FDI, including Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Binh Duong, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Nghe An and Bac Giang. These localities accounted for 79.6% of the total number of new projects and 69.4% of the total registered investment capital nationwide over the last 11 months.

Notably, the northern province of Bac Ninh has emerged as a prominent destination for semiconductor enterprises, with many large-scale projects.

The provincial authorities have signed a cooperation agreement with Samsung Display to develop a project worth 1.8 billion USD. As a result, in the first 11 months of the year, Bac Ninh led the country in attracting FDI, with total registered investment capital reaching nearly 5.04 billion USD, accounting for 16% of the nation’s total investment, and more than tripling the same period last year.

The Global Semiconductor Alliance (SEMI) has predicted that Vietnam's semiconductor market is expected to reach 7.01 billion USD by 2028, with an average annual growth of approximately 6.69% during the 2023–2028 period.

Hong Sun, Chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (KoCham) stated that Vietnam is among the countries with significant opportunities to develop the semiconductor industry. Therefore, large corporations of the Republic of Korea (RoK) are actively exploring opportunities to expand semiconductor supply chains in Vietnam.

Nguyen Van Toan, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE), believed that the trend of foreign investors pouring capital into the semiconductor and electronics industries in recent times is positive.

Particularly, Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, recently visited Vietnam for the second time. NVIDIA has partnered with Vietnam to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and development centre and an AI data centre in the country.

Economic experts said Vietnam is currently the most open economy in the Southeast Asian region, just behind Singapore. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Government continues to focus on reforms, international integration, and sustained efforts to effectively attract sustainable FDI flows./.

VNA

See more

The Vietnamese section of the Monsoon – Thanh My 500kV transmission line project (Photo: VNA)

500kV transmission line from Laos energised

The Monsoon – Thanh My 500kV transmission line project is designed to import electricity from Laos’ Monsoon wind power plant to Vietnam, adding 600 MW to the national power grid during the 2024–2025 period.​

The entrance gate to Hanoi’s Ciputra Urban Area, where banks are selling apartments and villas. (Photo: cafef.vn)

Banks selling mortgaged assets to recover bad debts

The Viet Dragon Securities Company (VDSC) said that bad debts might continue to increase slightly this year, after a circular allowing banks to reschedule debt repayment periods and maintain the debt group for certain sectors expired at the end of 2024.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Bui Van Nghi (th fourth from the fright) in the meeting with Governor of Brazil's Espirito Santo state Renato Casagrande. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam seeks to set up cooperation with Brazilian locality

In his meeting with Governor of Brazil's Espirito Santo Renato Casagrande, Ambassador to Argentina Bui Van Nghi Bui Van Nghi valued the potential for cooperation between the two sides, particularly in priority areas such as tourism, information technology, hi-tech agriculture, and seaport.

Remittances to Vietnam in 2024 are estimated at about 16 billion USD, maintaining the record-high levels seen in 2023. (Photo: VNA)

Remittances surge as Tet approaches

According to the State Bank of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City branch, 9.6 billion USD, or 60% of the total remittances, flew through financial institutions, representing a 140 million USD increase from the previous year.

Bank lending in HCM City achieves high growth last year. (Photo courtesy of ABBANK)

Banks' credit up 11.3% in HCM City in 2024

Total outstanding loans of credit institutions in Ho Chi Minh City as of the end of last year were worth over 3.9 quadrillion VND (153.3 billion USD), a 11.3% increase for the year, according to the central bank.

Ho Chi Minh City received nearly 493 million USD in remittances in the first 20 days of this year. (Photo: https://doanhnhansaigon.vn)

Remittances to HCM City surge ahead of Tet

Ho Chi Minh City received nearly 493 million USD in remittances in the first 20 days of this year, according to Nguyen Duc Lenh, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam's HCM City branch.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

Retail petrol prices down in latest adjustment

The price of E5RON92 bio-fuel was priced at 20,592 VND (0.82 USD) per litre, representing a 158 VND decrease from the previous baseline, while RON95-III decreased to 21,142 VND per litre, down 78 VND.