Vietnamese firms poured US$546.7 million into overseas projects in the first five months of 2021, more than triple the figure of the same period last year.

The total value of assets under the management of domestic exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has soared by 64% to US$1 billion so far this year, while foreign ETFs increased 12% to US$1.4 billion.

The Vietnamese Government plans to borrow more than VND1.7 quadrillion (US$73.2 billion) in the 2021-2023 period to meet the capital demand for socio-economic development, according to the public debt management plan for the next three years approved late last week.

The budget revenue increased significantly in the first five months of this year thanks to recovery from 2020 and some sectors seeing strong growth, such as banking, securities, real estate and automobile industries, according to the General Department of Taxation.

The stock market is still an attractive investment channel for investors in the near future. However, it also poses many challenges for regulators and market members, said experts.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has denied rumours that it proposed the establishment of a State stabilisation fund to cope with the sudden increase in steel prices that has impacted many businesses.

It is likely that Vietnam will have to reduce renewable energy sources in the next five years, as booming development in recent years was weighing on the power system, according to a recent report by the Institute of Energy.

Demand for deposits by individuals have increased significantly in recent months as people tended to switch to cashless payment methods, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commercial banks have made public the sale of unsecured consumer debt for the first time in the country.

A new master plan for seaports is needed to further boost the country’s socio-economic development in the rapid international integration process, experts have said.