Standard Chartered Bank has lowered Vietnam’s 2023 GDP growth forecast to 6.5% from the previous 7.2% in its recent macro-economic updates about the country.

The Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum (HEF) 2023 will be held from September 13-17 under the theme “Green growth - the journey to zero emissions,” the municipal People’s Committee announced at a press conference on May 11.

Amid the fluctuation of the global financial market, the exchange rate in Vietnam has remained stable in the first four months of this year, and the Vietnam dong has been considered one of the most stable currencies in Asia, according to experts.

Moody’s Investor Service has forecast that Vietnam’s forex reserves excluding gold will rebound to US$95 billion by the end of the year as the State Bank of Vietnam rebuilds its stockpile.

Banks have been steadily cutting deposit interest rates, which have reached around 8%, a move aimed at reducing lending rates to support businesses.

Vietnam's increased demand for infrastructure development in the coming years requires governmental policies that encourage the private sector's participation, said economists and policymakers.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has recently issued two circulars to support businesses and the real estate market in particular.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has been drastically implementing measures, particularly those to reduce loan interest rates, said its deputy governor Dao Minh Tu at a regular government press conference on May 5, calling it one of the important and practical policies to help businesses.

VOV.VN - The Ho Chi Minh City branch of Thai banking giant Kasikorn Bank (KBank) recently raised its charter capital from US$80 million to US$285 million in Vietnam, representing a 2.5 fold-rise according to the plan approved by the State Bank of Vietnam.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Switzerland have signed a cofinancing agreement of up to US$5 million to develop financial technologies (fintech) that can help address low financial inclusion in Vietnam, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).