The Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) market in Vietnam has been going through a downturn due to the pandemic, but the technology sector is bucking the trend, according to experts at a seminar on digital transformation and M&A on January 11.

Banks increased their charter capital by more than VND110 quadrillion in 2021 - the highest annual growth to date - to enhance financial strength and meet the central bank’s regulations.

The country’s total insurance premium revenue in 2022 is estimated at VND253.7 trillion (US$111.1 million), up 18.04% compared to 2021, according to the Department of the Insurance Supervisory Authority.

Cybersecurity is one of the central issues in the digital transformation of the banking system.

A majority of credit institutions are optimistic about their business performance in 2022, according to the latest survey by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s expansion of credit growth quotas for commercial banks has created favourable conditions for lenders to boost lending as a way of supporting capital sources for individuals and firms to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Large retail firms are to gain even more market share this year as smaller competitors have been forced to exit the game after prolonged lockdowns and mobility restrictions during recent years, said industry experts.

Ho Chi Minh City’s economy shrank by 6.78% in 2021, the sharpest yearly decline on record, according to the municipal Statistics Office, as stringent COVID-19 restrictions took their toll.

ESPN football pundit Gabriel Tan believed that it’s time for Vietnam’s Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Hoang Duc to ply their trade elsewhere.

Many banks have recently offered to sell mortgaged assets, mainly real estate, worth billions of VND, to recover debts amid the recovery of the realty market.