This is a brief rundown of what is being reported today in Vietnam’s state-approved media and about Vietnam in the international press.
It endeavours to highlight the narratives currently shaping the country’s economic, financial, and business news landscape.
Ed’s note: I’m always looking for new sources with unique insights. If you’re operating a business or working in Vietnam and want to talk about it, reach out: mark.barnes@the-shiv.com
SCB to liquidate assets at 11 branches
Vietnamnet is reporting that Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) has announced it will liquidate all assets at 11 branches nationwide.
SCB has conducted several asset sales over the past three years and has closed more than 100 transaction offices since being placed under special control in late 2022.
Before entering special control, SCB had charter capital of VND 20.02 trillion (US$759.8 million), 239 transaction points across 29 provinces and cities, and more than 7,000 employees. View source→
Ed.’s notes: This is the bank that Truong My Lan allegedly used to embezzle billions of dollars.
State censorship fines Facebook comments
Dan Tri is reporting that police in Dien Bien province have fined a man VND 6.25 million (US$237) after posting comments authorities described as false and distorted on the Facebook page of activist Le Trung Khoa.
The man allegedly used a personal Facebook account on April 8 to post comments that police said harmed the reputation of the Communist Party and the Vietnamese state.
Le Trung Khoa is wanted on charges of producing, storing, distributing or disseminating information and materials aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with an arrest warrant issued in December 2025, the article notes. View source→
Ed.’s notes: Khoa has been active online for years. It’s only in the past twelve months or so that the government has really cracked down. It could be that the new government is simply stricter on these sorts of things, but it could also be that Khoa might be perceived to be gaining some traction.
Still aiming for 10% growth
Reuters is reporting that Deputy Finance Minister Nguyen Duc Chi said on Wednesday that Vietnam will maintain its 2026 gross domestic product growth target of 10 percent despite a widening trade deficit and rising inflation. View source→
Ed.’s notes: A failure to recognise that this is likely unachievable (in a sustainable way) should be a cause for concern.
AI adoption in Vietnam
VIR is reporting that Vietnam has the second-highest artificial intelligence adoption rate in Southeast Asia at 26.5 percent in the first quarter of 2026, according to Microsoft’s Global AI Diffusion Report.
Microsoft said Vietnam’s adoption rate rose from 21.2 percent in the first half of 2025 and increased by three percentage points during the first quarter, the largest increase in Southeast Asia. View source→
Ed.’s notes: Maybe there is something to this re: media censorship. That is, it’s difficult to get clear answers from state media, official narratives often diverge from what’s visible on the ground, and there are risks to posting publicly online; asking a chatbot seems like a low-risk alternative.
Compensation for delayed flights from July 1
Nha Dau Tu is reporting that Vietnam will introduce new passenger protections from July 1, requiring airlines to provide refunds, compensation, meals and accommodation in cases of flight delays, cancellations and schedule changes.
Airlines must provide drinks for delays of two hours or more and meals for delays of at least three hours, while passengers delayed four hours or more due to airline fault may request a refund.
For delays of six hours or more, airlines must arrange suitable accommodation unless passengers choose a refund, and passengers on grounded aircraft must receive water and basic services if departure is delayed by at least 30 minutes after boarding.
The decree also requires airlines to offer refunds, flight changes or alternative flights if schedules change by more than five hours after tickets are sold or if flights are cancelled due to airline fault. View source→
Ed.’s notes: This puts the burden on airlines, but it’s not clear that’s where the problem is — Tan Son Nhat is operating well over capacity. The airline industry is already struggling; adding this additional compliance burden seems unlikely to help.
Tax changes sparking shift to cash payments
Dan Tri is reporting that analysts have said changes to Vietnam’s tax policies may be encouraging businesses to move money out of the banking system and conduct more transactions in cash.
The report comes after State Bank of Vietnam data showed corporate deposits fell 2.69 percent in the first quarter to just over VND 6.01 quadrillion (US$228.1 billion), while household deposits continued to rise.
The article notes this could impact banking system liquidity and undermine efforts to improve financial transparency and expand the digital economy. View source→
Biofuel tax breaks
Vietnamnet is reporting that the Ministry of Finance has said it is considering further tax changes to promote E10 gasoline.
Deputy Director of the Department of Tax, Fee and Charge Policy Management and Supervision Truong Ba Tuan said E10 already benefits from a lower excise tax rate of 7 percent compared with 10 percent for mineral gasoline.
The ministry has also reduced the import tax on ethanol used for blending from 10 percent to 5 percent to help lower production costs.
Under current rules, the ethanol component of E10 is also exempt from environmental protection tax. View source→
Ed.’s notes: If non-mixed gasoline is no longer available, it’s not clear why there would need to be any additional incentives to drive adoption.
Loosening bank lending regulations
Dau Tu Kien Thuc is reporting that the central bank is seeking feedback on a proposal to raise the maximum proportion of short-term funds that banks can use for medium and long-term lending to 40 percent from the current 30 percent.
The proposal would reverse a years-long tightening process that reduced the ratio from 40 percent in 2020-2021 to 30 percent in October 2023, a measure aimed at limiting maturity mismatches between deposits and loans. View source→
Ed.’s notes: This adds to a string of moves to relax banking regulations that might increase liquidity, though that will come with increased banking sector risk.
Stock market Wednesday
The VN-Index closed at 1,806.20, down 1.74 points or 0.10 percent, with a total trading value of VND 24,184.56 billion or US$917.82 million, and foreign traders net-selling US$120.49 million worth of equities, Wednesday, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange. Read the full article →
Exchange rates Wednesday
On June 17, in Vietnam, the black market US dollar buy rate was VND 26,400, and the sell rate was VND 26,420, a change of 100 and 100, respectively, for a mid-market rate of VND 26,410 (up 0.38 percent), according to prices quoted by Ty Gia USD. Read the full article →
38 percent of Vietnam businesses in VCCI survey paying “informal charges”
That equates to more than one in three businesses and comes despite well-publicised anti-corruption campaigns in recent years. Read the full article →
Animal feed production May
Vietnam produced 1,370.24 thousand tonnes of animal feed in May, up 2.34 percent from 1,338.91 thousand tonnes in April 2026, according to the latest data from the National Statistics Office. Read the full article →
Yesterday’s Vietnam news roundup
In yesterday’s Vietnam news: Vinhomes to stop expanding landbank, 38 percent of businesses paying informal charges, SBV governor meets USTR delegation, Fitch affirms BB+ rating, Motorbike sales, HCMC high-tech park expansion, Sandbox for new securities products, Tax payments delay proposed, Biofuel complaints, Stock market Tuesday, Exchange rates Tuesday, Aluminium production May, Yesterday’s Vietnam news roundup, and more. Read the full article →