Author: the-shiv
Ground broken on second terminal at airport in Vietnam capital
For context, at the end of last year, the President of Vietnam Airlines noted that overcrowding at Vietnam’s airports was costing the national carrier US$20 million a year. Indeed, overcrowding has become a huge problem–Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City was built for 28 million visitors a year but welcomed 34 million arrivals in 2022. Similarly, Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport was built for 25 million visitors a year but was expected to finish 2023 with 30 million arrivals.
Chinese EV makers looking to expand in Vietnam
One of the side effects of all of the attention Vietnam’s Vinfast has received is that it has exponentially raised awareness of electric vehicles among Vietnamese consumers. Furthermore, there is a lot of status that goes along with owning a car in Vietnam. That said, Vietnam’s GDP per capita is still only around US$4,000 which makes owning a car of any kind challenging for most Vietnamese. In this context, smaller, cheaper Chinese EVs could find a welcome home south of the border.
Alibaba to build a data centre in Vietnam
Vietnam’s data localisation laws have been a point of contention with cross-border service providers concerned about the security of their data stored in Vietnam. These regulations also contravene some trade agreements like the Comprehensive and Progressive Transpacific Partnership Agreement which prohibits member states from requiring firms to store data locally.
Ultra-luxury smart phone firm adds another Vietnam retail store
The number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals–persons with a net worth greater than US$30 million–has grown exponentially in recent years. According to Frank Knight estimates, Vietnam had 1,059 of these uber-rich at the end of 2022.
Implementation of Vietnam’s new Land Law slated for July with NA approval
Among the key regulations this change will see come into force early are adjustments to the Law on Land that will remove land pricing regulations that see a price set every five years based with which, using their own coefficients, local governments determine the price of land. With land values increasing faster than the centrally set price and, believing their land to be worth more, landowners had in the past refused to sell waiting for a better price and this has held up a number of projects.
Vietnam corporate bond issuances up 29.1 percent in April
This is another positive sign for corporate bond issuances after a slow start to the year–there were just VND 5.96 trillion or US$242 million of corporate bonds issued in the first two months of 2024.
Minimum wage hike of 6 percent submitted to Vietnam government for approval
This will be welcome news for Vietnam’s minimum wage workers with no minimum wage hike last year despite inflation floating around 4 percent. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor had been pushing for between 6.48 percent and 7.3 percent with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a peak business representative body, pushing for between 4.5 and 5 percent. Vietnam’s National Wage Council, which makes recommendations to the ministry, looks to have essentially split the difference.
Billions of foreign aid lost in delays caused by politcal uncertainty in Vietnam
Of note, these delays in project approvals seem to be mostly in infrastructure projects and aid programs. New projects in the manufacturing and processing industry have continued to move forward without any more delays than is typical–critical to Vietnam’s economic development, investigating corruption in the industry could discourage further foreign direct investment.
Airlines are making just US$1 per passenger: Vietnam Airlines exec.
The rising price of airfares in Vietnam has been in the news a lot lately. A review of airline ticket prices by the Vietnam Aviation Administration, however, after conducting a brief investigation, earlier this year, found that airfares prices have been within the current guidelines–in Vietnam airfares are regulated by the government.
Transcript of DOC hearing into Vietnam’s non-market economy status now available
This hearing should just about cap off contributions from the parties involved with the Department of Commerce now set to deliberate with a report due July 26.
Vietnam securities firm suggests September 2 launch of new stock trading system
Of note the exchange said that the KRX trading system, imported from South Korea, would go live on May 2, however, this was promptly shut down by the State Securities Commission on the grounds that the exchange had failed to provide evidence trading firms were ready for the new system and because it hasn’t consulted all relevant stakeholders.
Another politburo member resigns in Vietnam
Truong Thi Mai who was, until yesterday, the Standing Secretary of the Secretariat, has resigned her position. This was after it was revealed there were ‘violations and shortcomings’ in her work. Resignations among Vietnam’s leadership have become common of late with the president resigning in March and the Chariman of
MSCI Frontier Markets Index review see Vietnamese stocks shuffled
Vietnam’s stock market indexes have been in the news a lot lately as the country pushes for an upgrade from a frontier to an emerging market. There are, however, a number of obstacles still standing in the local bourse’s path before an upgrade can be made and, as a result, it may still yet be languishing in MSCI’s Frontier Markets Index for some time to come.
Vietnam tech-giant’s losses quadruple after audit
VNG’s Zalo currently has about 72.5 million user accounts and its success has put VNG in the government’s good graces. This may speak to reports last week that the Steam gaming platform had been banned in Vietnam at the request of local game producers.
State media laments struggling Vietnamese films days after censors ban ‘gloomy’ local film
This comes just days after it was reported that the locally produced film Viet and Nam, which is headed for the Cannes Film Festival, was banned from distribution by the Department of Cinema because of its ‘gloomy’ depiction of Vietnam.
State Bank sells US$400 million of forex reserves on Wednesday: ACB
Research from WiGroup last week estimated Vietnam’s reserves to be only about US$90 billion. That being the case, with the IMF recommending enough foreign currency on hand to cover three months worth of imports, and imports reaching just shy of US$30 billion in April, these reserves are dangerously low.
Vietnam’s C.Bank manages to move 8,100 taels of gold at latest gold auction
This latest development is a vast improvement with a series of past gold auctions selling only a few thousand gold bars or being cancelled altogether due to lack of interest. The change of circumstances is likely due to changes to this gold auction that saw the minimum order significantly reduced.
Updated power pricing regulations in Vietnam officially kick-in today
Of note, in 2022 EVN reported a loss of US$1.5 billion with rises in fuel costs vastly outstripping the electricity retail price which is regulated. That said, Decision 24 issued back in 2017, the precursor to Decision 5, already had provisions for the electricity price to be adjusted annually, however, between 2019 and November 2023 no adjustment was made. It’s not clear why and in this context the frequency at which power prices are reviewed may not have been the crux of the problem.
Vietnam real estate market expecting boost from new Land Law
This may, however, be wishful thinking. It is already quite common for overseas Vietnamese to invest in real estate in Vietnam. Generally, if overseas Vietnamese cannot acquire property in their own name they will do so through a family member still living in the country. In this context, it’s not clear that when the new law comes into effect this part of it will make all that much of a difference.
Japanese investor reports big losses from Vietnam’s Nghi Son refinery
A Japanese investor in Vietnam’s Nghi Son refinery, Idemitsu, has said that it has booked a US$263 million provision for bad debt generated by the refinery in the financial year ended March 31. This is reportedly due to increased costs on the back of rising US interest rates. There is,
In today’s news: 2G services to end September 15, Rising deposit interest rates, Samsung earnings H1, Chinese hot pot chain performance, Battery storage ambitions,
In today’s news: ForEx regs overseas investments SOEs, VinFast GSM 5m unit agreement, US cotton shipments to VN, Samsung semiconductor build-out VN, Tay Ninh
In today’s news: Japan-VN asset tie-up, Import tax refund guidance, Instant noodle consumption, AI plans, SSC + S&P Dow Jones execs meet in NY,
This is an interview with Chris Walker, a Vietnam Sourcing Expert with Vietnam Factory Tours how rising oil prices and the Middle East crisis are
This is an interview with John Gardner, CEO and Founding Partner, at Optimum Hospitality in Ho Chi Minh City. It covers fuel price impacts on:
This is an interview with Dr Nuno F. Ribeiro, Associate Professor, International Tourism & Hospitality Management at Copenhagen Business College, formerly of RMIT Vietnam. It