Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Disbursement of foreign directinvestment (FDI) saw a positive yearly increase of 7 percent to nearly 12billion USD in the first eight months of this year, despite a fall in new FDIregistered in Vietnam.
From the beginning of this year to August, the country lureda total of 22.63 billion USD in FDI, marking a slight decrease of 7 percentyear-on-year, reported the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministryof Planning and Investment.
More than 2,400 new foreign-invested projects were grantedinvestment licences with a total registered capital of 9.13 billion USD in theperiod, up 25 percent in terms of number of projects but down 32 percent inlevel of capital over the same period last year.
Meanwhile, nearly 910 existing projects adjusted theirinvestment capital with a total additional sum of 4 billion USD in the eightmonths, representing a yearly increase of 24 percent in the project number butequivalent to 72 percent of capital seen in last year’s corresponding period.
Notably, foreign capital flow to buy stakes in Vietnamesecompanies rose by 80 percent year-on-year to total 9.51 billion USD, accordingto the data.
Foreign investors poured most into the manufacturing andprocessing sector totalling 15.7 billion USD, or 70 percent of the nation’stotal FDI. It was followed by real estate with 2.32 billion USD or 10 percentand the wholesale and retail industry with 1.2 billion USD or 5.2 percent.
Among 103 countries and territories investing in Vietnam,statistics showed that Hong Kong remained to be the largest in the eight-monthperiod, pouring in nearly 5.63 billion USD, accounting for 25 percent of thetotal FDI pledged in the country.
The Republic of Korea came next with 3.48 billion USD, makingup 16 percent of the total FDI and Singapore ranked third with 3.27 billion USDor equivalent to 15 percent. Mainland China and Japan were the runners-up with 2.78billion USD and 2.34 billion USD, respectively.
The capital city of Hanoi retained its crown as the topdestination for FDI flow which attracted 5.66 billion USD in the first eightmonths, accounting for 25 percent of the total registered capital. HCM Cityranked second with 3.86 billion USD or 17 percent, then the southern provinceof Binh Duong with 1.95 billion USD or 9 percent.
As per the data, foreign-invested businesses gained aneight-month export turnover of 117.9 billion USD while their imports hit 96billion USD, resulting in a trade surplus of 21.8 billion USD.
So far, there were more than 25,530 operatingforeign-invested projects in Vietnam with capital totalling 353.7 billion USD.The country’s major sources of FDI were the Republic of Korea, Japan, Singaporeand Taiwan.
In the next 10 years, Vietnam will place greater emphasis onselecting investments which employ modern and environmentally friendlytechnologies, pursuant to the first decision on foreign direct investment (FDI)issued by the Politburo this month.
Investments which introduce efficient technologies thatproduce greater added-value and help integrate the country’s industries intothe global supply chain will receive priority.-VNS/VNA
