The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) targets a credit growth rate of 12% in 2021, equivalent to the growth of 12.13% last year, according to SBV Deputy Governor Dao Minh Tu.

Vietnam will continue to seek measures to enhance the efficiency of and expand the areas of engagement in UN peacekeeping operations, heard a conference held by the Ministry of National Defence in Hanoi on January 7 to review Vietnam’s involvement in the operations in the 2012-2020 period.

The disbursement of public investment was estimated at VND398 trillion (US$17.24 billion) as of the end of December, meeting 82.8% of the Government’s plan – the highest rate in the 2016-20 period, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Vietnamese athletes are working hard to secure a second slot in gymnastics at the coming Olympics in Tokyo this year.

VOV.VN - Vietnam confirmed four fresh imported COVID-19 cases on January 7, raising the total number of infections to 1,509, according to the Ministry of Health.

VOV.VN - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam gave 64 Doppler fetal monitors and personal protective equipment worth US$300,000 on January 7 as part of efforts to help ensure quality in sexual and reproductive healthcare services in flood-affected provinces amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

VOV.VN - Following the fulfillment of targets set for 2020, the industry and trade sector made positive contributions to overall economic growth at 2.91%, helping the nation maintain its steady growth momentum in import-export activities with a total turnover of over US$500 billion for the second consecutive year.

Real estate prices in 2021 are expected to increase by 10% over the previous year, said Nguyen Van Dinh, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA).

VOV.VN - Joseph Incalcaterra, chief economist for ASEAN at the HSBC Global Research has hailed Vietnam’s handling of the virus, as saying that its response to the pandemic allowed the country to maintain its reputation as a “very good destination” for foreign direct investment.

The regulatory sandbox for financial technology (fintech) which is expected to be created this year, coupled with efforts to promote the use of digital financial services, are expected to accelerate the development of fintech in Vietnam.