The agro-forestry-fisheries sector is the mainstay of the economy of Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic in the first nine months of this year.

Standard Chartered has forecast a potential interest rate cut if the economic impact of Vietnam’s COVID-19 outbreak lasts beyond October.

Singapore-based financial service supplier DBS has predicted that Vietnam’s economic growth may reach 8% in 2022 thanks to rising flows of FDI and exports and digitalisation impetus.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s GDP growth rate during the third quarter of the year was estimated to have endured a decline of 6.17% due to social distancing and other COVID-19-related restrictions taking a heavy toll on the economy.

Vietnam’s GDP is expected to expand by about 4.8% in 2021, and the economy could converge toward the pre-pandemic GDP growth rate of 6.5% to 7% from 2022 onward, the World Bank has forecast.

VOV.VN - In its outlook update released on September 22, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered Vietnam’s economic growth rate for 2021 to 3.8% from the 6.7% projection due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam needs to shift from “Zero-COVID” strategy to vaccinations as the pandemic and the risk of new outbreaks are still lingering on, according to Dr. Nguyen Duc Kien, head of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.

HSBC has forecast two scenarios for Vietnam’s economy until the end of the year, with both of them focused on the re-opening of the economy, albeit in a cautious and systematic way.

Vietnam’s first half growth demonstrates the underlying strength of the economy, which will provide a platform for the country's growth once its new COVID-19 outbreaks are contained, said Stanley Chou, Chair of the Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited (VEIL).

The Asialink Business Centre under Australia’s University of Melbourne has announced to commence a new capability development programme, aimed at building awareness and positioning Australian business to engage in Vietnam’s fintech sector.