Disbursement of foreign direct investment (FDI) experienced a modest increase of 2 percent during the first six months of this year, reaching US$5.4 billion, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).
However, new FDI registered in the country slumped significantly during the period with only 452 projects, worth $4.76 billion, licensed equivalent to one-fourth of the 2011’s corresponding period in terms of both number of projects and level of capital.
The rate of added capital in existing projects also decreased. In six months, 123 projects registered to increase their capital by a total of $1.62 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 65 percent in capital and 50 percent in project number.
During the first half of this year, foreign investors have committed to pumping total FDI of approximately $6.4 billion into the country, a 27.3 percent reduction from 2011.
Japan remained Vietnam’s largest foreign investor, pouring in $4.16 billion, making up 65 percent of the nation’s total FDI.
It was followed by the British Virgin Islands, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The southern province of Binh Duong retained its position as the most favourite location for foreign investors, drawing about $1.79 billion or 38 percent of total FDI registered in the country over the period.
In the January-June period, the foreign-invested sector posted an export value of $32.7 percent year-on-year. It also recorded an export surplus of $4.7 billion.
According to a draft circular recently released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, State authorities will check that foreign- invested enterprises and projects conform to investment licences, development plans, investment incentives as well as regulations related to capital attraction, land use, ground clearance and compensation.
They will also check on matters such as taxation, capital contributions, project progress, wage mechanisms, treatment of workforce and environmental protection activities.
VNS/ VOV
Vietnamese
