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
Vinhomes gold scheme adjusted
Dau Tu Kien Thuc is reporting that Vinhomes has adjusted its gold-for-property program, lowering the minimum gold requirement from 80 percent to 50 percent of a property’s value.
The company also added a three-year option, alongside the existing five-year option, with customers promised their converted gold value plus a 2 percent annual return based on the price when the term ends.
Vinhomes said it plans to manage gold price risks through insurance and hedging tools, though the article notes specific details were not provided. View source→
Ed.’s notes: Vietnam’s biggest real estate firm advertised a promotion that it had to significantly adjust only two days after it was announced. Speaks to the company’s penchant for leaping before looking.
Only biofuel petrol mix available after June 1 confirmed
Nguoi Lao Dong is reporting that Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan has confirmed Vietnam will not continue selling mineral RON95 gasoline alongside E10 fuel after June 1.
Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan said maintaining multiple fuel types long term would increase logistics, storage, and distribution costs while reducing the effectiveness of Vietnam’s green energy transition policies. View source→
Ed.’s notes: It’s been speculated that E10 will be available alongside regular RON95 petrol. This article says that will not be the case.
Samsung chip testing factory plans
Reuters is reporting that Samsung Electronics plans to invest VND 39 trillion (about US$1.48 billion) in a semiconductor testing plant in Thai Nguyen Province, targeting operations from November 2027.
The publication is also reporting that Samsung could reinvest up to an additional US$2.5 billion into a second factory. View source→
Ed.’s notes: Note timing — It was reported yesterday that Samsung had struck a deal with its chip workers in South Korea, ending what The Guardian described as a “bitter five-month dispute”.
Vietnam 11th biggest app downloads
PPC is reporting that Berlin-based mobile app analytics and measurement company Adjust ranked Vietnam 11th globally for app downloads in 2025, with 2.88 billion installs and 127 billion hours spent in-app.
The report said gaming remained Vietnam’s largest app category, with sessions rising 15 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 and strategy game sessions increasing 282 percent. View source→
Gold to dong compensation claim change proposed
VN Economy is reporting that Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice has proposed amending the Law on State Compensation Liability to require compensation claims be calculated in Vietnamese dong rather than gold.
The draft amendments would calculate compensation values at the time authorities accept compensation claims or when first-instance courts determine damages in relevant cases. View source→
Ed.’s notes: Interesting that claims are being paid in gold in the first place.
Local perspective on development challenges
Thanh Nien is reporting that BIN Corporation Group chief executive Le Hung Anh said regulatory and policy barriers, rather than business capability, were the main obstacles preventing Vietnamese firms from expanding internationally.
Speaking at the Da Nang Venture and Angel Summit 2026, Le Hung Anh said Vietnam’s foreign exchange, overseas investment, and international finance regulations remained less developed than major global financial centres, and this was holding local firms back.
Vingroup film project
Dau Tu Kien Thuc is reporting that Vingroup has announced a long-term strategy for its subsidiary V-Film Film Development, including a historical television series about Vietnam’s Tran Dynasty.
Tran Duc Viet, general director of V-Film, said the company aimed to use modern cinema to tell Vietnamese stories and promote Vietnamese culture internationally. View source→
Ed.’s notes: There is not a lot of money in Vietnamese cinema, particularly relative to the size of Vingroup. Seems there are likely ulterior motives — political pandering, for example.
Employees responsible for employer tax obligations
Thanh Nien is reporting that tax officials have said employees will not receive personal income tax refunds if their employer has withheld tax but failed to remit it to the state budget.
Ho Chi Minh City tax authorities said workers at companies with outstanding personal income tax debts would need their employers to settle the debt before refunds could be processed. View source→
Ed.’s notes: Is this fair?
Nuclear plant resettlement progress
Vietnam Plus is reporting that Khanh Hoa authorities have said they have paid more than VND 600 billion (about US$22.77 million) in compensation and resettlement support to more than 200 households affected by the Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant project.
Officials said 106 hectares of land had been recovered by May 24, representing 12.63 percent of the project area, while total compensation and resettlement costs were estimated at nearly VND 3 trillion (about US$113.85 million).
The Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant project requires the recovery of 480.3 hectares of land affecting 869 households and organisations, with authorities targeting site handover by June 15. View source→
1.5 R&D workers per 1,000
Former deputy prime minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has said Vietnam will need to increase its research and development workforce from 75,000 to about 294,000 people to become a high-income country by 2045.
Nguyen said Vietnam currently has only 1.5 research and development workers per 1,000 workers, compared with nearly seven per 1,000 in Malaysia. View source →
Electricity in Vietnam: Hanoi Faces Outages Amid Heatwave Demand Surge
Power shortages have become part and parcel with summer heat in Hanoi, but relief could be a long way away with power development bogged down in the same issues that have plagued the sector for years. Read the full article →
Yesterday’s government bond auction results
Vietnam’s State Treasury raised VND 11,430 billion (about US$434 million) at its May 27 government bond auction, with weak demand again evident across longer-dated tenors as yields continued to edge higher, according to a release from the Vietnam Bond Market Association. Read the full article →
Foreign traders net-sell US$31.12 million of stocks, Wednesday
The VN-Index closed at 1,874.43, down 9.75 points or 0.52 percent, with a total trading value of VND 24,223.52 billion or US$919.30 million, and foreign traders net-selling US$31.12 million worth of equities, Wednesday, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange. Read the full article →
Black market dong unchanged, Wednesday
On May 27, in Vietnam, the black market US dollar buy rate was VND 26,380, and the sell rate was VND 26,420, unchanged from yesterday, according to prices quoted by Ty Gia USD. Read the full article →
Imports from South Korea surge in April
In April, Vietnam imported US$7,528.56 million worth of goods from South Korea, up from US$7,073.94 million in March, a change of 6.43 percent, according to preliminary data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs. Read the full article →
Imports from Japan dive in April
In April, Vietnam imported US$2,328.13 million worth of goods from Japan, down from US$2,433.66 million in March, a change of -4.34 percent, according to preliminary data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs. Read the full article →
Yesterday’s Vietnam news roundup
In yesterday’s Vietnam news: Power shortages Hanoi, Another PDP8 revision tabled, Ukraine investigating steel dumping, Copper tube anti-dumping, HSBC clean energy credit facility, CNN in Vietnam, Vinhomes bond issuance, Real estate sector debt, Extorting traffic police, More petrol distributors fined, VN-Index falls 1.85 points Tuesday, SBV weakens central exchange rate Tuesday, Imports from India up double digits in April, and more. Read the full article →