Vietnam’s southern economic hub – Ho Chi Minh City attracted 477 new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in 2013 with a total registered capital of 1.05 billion USD, up 9.4 percent and 76.72 percent compared to the same period last year, respectively.

In addition, 139 projects applied to add a total of 1.03 billion USD to their existing capital, an increase of 33.13 percent against the previous year, the Saigon Giai phong daily’s English edition quoted the municipal Department of Planning and Investment as saying.

Thus, last year, the city magnetised 2.08 billion USD in FDI, up 51.98 percent over the previous year.

Besides new and expanded projects, around 70 projects with a total investment capital of 436.78 million USD moved its headquarters to other provinces and cities or terminated operations, and 20 other projects with a total capital of 21.42 million USD temporarily called halt to operations.

Currently, the city has 4,924 valid FDI projects with a total registered investment capital of 33.5 billion USD.

Singapore pumped the highest FDI capital into Ho Chi Minh City last year, followed by Malaysia and the Republic of Korea.

Total new and additional FDI capital registered in Vietnam last year reached an estimated 21.6 billion USD, up 54.5 percent over the year before.-VNA