Vietnam is expected to attract more foreign investment next year and in the future due to the opportunities and advantages resulting from free trade agreements (FTAs), according to experts.

(VOV) - State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Governor Nguyen Van Binh has issued a license for the Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited (Thailand) to open a branch in Ho Chi Minh City, according to a company spokesperson.

Agriculture is an investment field which promises high risks but low profitability, just 3-4%.

(VOV) - Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts – a leading hotel management group from Switzerland has signed a contract for the management of Mövenpick Resort Cam Ranh Bay in central Khanh Hoa province. The project investor is Eurowindow Nha Trang Tourism Investment Joint Stock Company. 

(VOV) - Low-cost airline VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co has taken receipt of the first of 30 Airbus Group SE A321 planes it ordered at last month’s Dubai Airshow, a deal worth US$3.6 billion at full retail prices.

The business fields that Thais have poured money to in Vietnam – infrastructure, building materials, retail, consumer goods, food and automobiles – are all fields with great potential.

Some foreign investors have warned that they may leave Vietnam because of unfavorable conditions to do business. However, Vietnamese businesses and analysts believe they will stay in the country.

(VOV) - The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank group is providing a trade facility of up to US$10 million to TienPhong Commercial Joint Stock Bank (TPBank) to enhance its support for local enterprises and help boost international trade opportunities, according to an IFC press release on December 17.

(VOV) - The management board of the Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) on December 17 granted investment licences to two new investors in the global supply chain of Samsung Electronics.

(VOV) - Malaysia’s Public Bank Berhad based out of Kuala Lumpur recently filed to become the sixth wholly-owned foreign bank in Vietnam, according to officials at the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).

(VOV) - Auto Motors Vietnam – the importer of Renault cars in Vietnam, and Mai Linh Group agreed to launch the electric taxi service next year in Vietnam under a deal signed on December 16 to reduce gas emissions in major cities.

The owner of DreamPlex, a co-working space in Ho Chi Minh City, and CEO of the Trung Thuy Group, a real estate company, Nguyen Trung Tin, still remembers the stress of opening four businesses four years ago.

This year marks an impressive performance of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines in the Republic of Korea (RoK) market, with improvements in operational scale, sale revenues and service quality.

The northern province of Ha Nam has so far attracted 533 investment projects with a total registered capital of over US$3.5 billion, said Director of the provincial Planning and Investment Department Nguyen Van Oang. 

(VOV) - The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) held a press conference on December 16 in Hanoi to provide an update for the news media on the current status of forming agricultural value chains in Vietnam.

(VOV) - Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. – the US leading furniture brand has officially inaugurated its first showroom in Hanoi. 

(VOV) - The Hau Giang Provincial People’s Committee and Malaysian Toyo Ink Group on December 15 initialed a contract for Song Hau 2 Thermal Power Plant BOT project in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang.

US investments in Vietnam are expected to rapidly increase due to Vietnam's potential for consumption and new business opportunities, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).

Despite cement exports forecast to be lower than that of 2014, a supply-and-demand balance would be maintained thanks to increasing domestic demand. 

Vietnamese food, confectionary, household appliances, electronic products and steel are being showcased at 20 booths at the 10th Cambodia Import- Export & One Province One Product Exhibition (CIE &OPOP).

The Prime Minister has recently approved the equitisation plan of the Vietnam Medical Equipment Corporation (Vinamed), which has a total chartered capital of VND88 billion (US$3.9 million).

(VOV) - On December 14, , the Belgian-based investor, Rent-A-Port, held a ground breaking ceremony of South Dinh Vu Industrial Zone II – Deep C II and construction commencement of the Gateway Commercial and Logistics Business Centre – CDC Haiphong at South Dinh Vu IZ. 

Yeon In Jung, the recently-appointed CEO of Doosan Vina, spoke with VIR about the company’s upcoming plans to make greater contributions to Vietnam’s growth by capitalising on the strength of the local workforce.

Japan pays heed to the implementation of an agricultural cooperation pact with Vietnam, said agro-forestry-fisheries minister Hiroshi Moriyama.

(VOV) - Ecopark Township was selected best in three categories at the International Property Awards held recently at London's Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, according to widely published reports. 

(VOV) - ACE Life Insurance Company on December 14 launched a representative office at Cai Lay Town in Tien Giang Province, signalling an expansion of its commitment to the Vietnam marketplace.

The Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) in Ho Chi Minh City granted investment licences on December 11 to two new projects in the park, worth a total nearly US$200 million. 

Young entrepreneurs in ASEAN countries should ensure environmental sustainability while doing business, the secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union has said.

(VOV) - Singapore GP Batteries, a leading producer of batteries and energy devices, has been given the go ahead for construction of a new 29,379 square metre facility at the Hoa Mac Industrial Zone in the Duy Tien District of Ha Nam Province.  

(VOV) - On December 11, PetroVietnam celebrated a milestone in the company’s history with the first production of oil from its joint venture with Thai and Algerian companies in Bir Seba, Algeria.