VOV.VN - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has just released its growth forecast for the year, with Vietnam’s growth revised down to 5.8% from the previous figure of 6.7% put forward in April.

Public investment will focus on important and key industries and sectors of the economy, of which economic sectors account for more than 71%.

Ngo Dang Khoa, country director of foreign exchange and capital markets at HSBC Vietnam, has suggested three challenges that the Vietnamese economy would face in the second half of this year.

VOV.VN - Despite the COVID-19 pandemic impacting seafood consumption globally, fish cake and surimi exports have continued to record growth in the opening five months of the year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Though exports remain strong, several sectors face difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and require support from the Government if they are to sustain the growth, experts said.

Oversea remittances to Ho Chi Minh City were worth US$3.2 billion in the first six months of this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic roiling on many economies around the world.

According to General Statistic Office, in the first six months of 2021, total retail sales of goods and services went up 4.9% compared to the same period in 2020 to VND2,463.8 trillion (over US$107 billion), of which goods retail revenue hit VND1,985.4 trillion, up 6.2%.

The high GDP growth rate of 5.64% reported for H1, when a number of large cities and provinces were under social distancing, businesses had to close, and people lost their livelihoods, has puzzled many people.

Vietnam wants to become a bridge to help the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) enhance its role in the region and develop for the sake of peace and stability, Vietnamese Representative of the State President to the Permanent Council of the Francophonie (CPF) Dinh Toan Thang said.

The disbursement of public investment must be sped up in the second half of this year as an important solution to accelerate economic growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.