Hanoi (VNA)ღ – Vietnam expects to mobilise around 370 million USD in official development assistance (ODA) and foreign concessional loans in the last four months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Finance.
In the first eight months of this year, Vietnam secured nearly 450 million USD from ODA and foreign concessional loans. With the new inflows projected for the rest of the year, total mobilisation in 2025 could approach 820 million USD, matching the country’s annual average of 800 million to 1 billion USD during the 2021-2025 period, except for 2022 when the figure dropped sharply due to COVID-19 impacts.
Despite stable mobilisation, disbursement has remained sluggish. From 2021 to 2024, only about 66.5 trillion VND (over 2.5 billion USD) was disbursed, meeting just 22% of the total initially assigned public investment and 44.9% of the revised allocation by the Prime Minister. In the January-August period alone, central agencies and localities disbursed only 3.59 trillion VND, equivalent to 15.3% of the annual plan.
The Ministry of Finance stressed that demand for foreign capital remains very high in 2025 and subsequent years, especially for major infrastructure and climate-related projects. During 2025-2027, the country aims to mobilise over 2.22 quadrillion VND.
Binh Khanh Bridge crosses Soai Rap River in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA)
To accelerate ODA implementation, the Government has been reforming its legal framework. Key changes include shortening project preparation time by replacing the requirement to submit project proposals to the Prime Minister with simplified loan proposal submissions, decentralising approval authority, easing procedures for granting projects, and aligning capital allocation periods with disbursement schedules.
Most notably, the Government recently issued Decree No. 242/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on September 10, replacing Decrees 114/2021 and 20/2023. The new decree introduces several important reforms such as creating a legal corridor for state-owned enterprises to use ODA capital and preferential loans; and simplifying the process of receiving non-refundable ODA capital.
Accordingly, ODA capital and preferential loans will be provided through four methods including programmes, projects, non-projects and budget support. In particular, non-refundable ODA capital is prioritised for implementing projects to develop socio-economic infrastructure, enhance capacity, prevent and mitigate natural disasters and epidemics, respond to climate change, promote green growth, as well as the fields of science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and social security.
In addition, this capital can also be used to prepare investment projects or co-finance projects using preferential loans, in order to increase the preferential nature of the loan.
Meanwhile, ODA loans will focus on programmes and projects in the fields of health, education, vocational education, climate change adaptation, environmental protection and essential economic infrastructure unable to recover capital directly.
A notable new point is that the private sector can also access and use ODA capital and preferential loans through mechanisms such as the State capital participation in public-private partnership (PPP) projects, participation in the implementation of programmes and projects supporting the private sector, or being assigned to carry out public investment tasks according to the provisions of the Law on Public Investment.
The issuance of Decree 242 is seen as a concrete step to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency in managing international financial resources, while strengthening Vietnam’s capacity to attract and utilise ODA for sustainable socio-economic development./.
The first phase of HCM City's Metro Line No. 2, stretching 11.3km with 10 underground and one elevated station, was approved in 2010 with an estimated cost of 26 trillion VND (994 million USD). That figure was revised to nearly 47.9 trillion VND (1.8 billion USD) in 2019 after delays and cost escalations.
Between 2021 and 2024, the annual average disbursement rate was just 52%. In the first four months of 2025, the rate was only 4.6%, significantly lower than the national average disbursement rate for public investment of approximately 8% during the first quarter.
Ho Chi Minh City, as the country’s largest economic and financial hub, is expected to take the lead in key areas such as capital markets, banking, and commodity trading. Meanwhile, Da Nang, with its strategic location and open-minded spirit, holds great potential to become a pioneer in sustainable finance, green finance, and digital financial services.
By aligning regulatory frameworks more closely with international practices, the Vietnamese Government expects to create a more transparent, efficient and investor-friendly market environment.
The Vietnam Investment and Finance Association (VIFA) in the UK has successfully organised the event “Financial Insights 2025” in London, aiming to strengthen financial and business ties between the two countries.
Equipped with the state-of-the-art Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine, the A330 aircraft will immediately be put into operation on routes to Australia, Kazakhstan, India, Japan and Europe, offering passengers a modern and comfortable travel experiences.
To deliver on the goal, the document highlighted the need to remove such barriers as pre-funding requirement for foreign investors ahead of trades while the central counterparty clearing (CCP) is being developed. Transparency on foreign ownership limits should be enhanced across all areas, together with streamlined registration procedures for account opening and indirect capital registration.
From September 15, commercial banks and foreign bank branches must maintain a minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 8%, including at least 4.5% in Tier 1 core capital and 6% in Tier 1 capital.
The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 25,216 VND/USD on September 15, unchanged from the last working day of the previous week.
One of the key growth drivers for the paper packaging industry is the boom in e-commerce, FiinGroup reported, forecasting that the size of Vietnam's e-commerce market will reach 60 billion USD by 2030, leading to a massive demand for corrugated cartons used for shipping.
The Finance Minister's mission in the UK and Italy is expected to unlock new cooperation opportunities across multiple high-potential sectors, contributing to economic and financial cooperation between Vietnam and European countries.
The application integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and is capable of analysing images of wood cross-sections, providing identification results with an accuracy of up to 98.6% in less than one second.
The EU is among the world’s top three importers of farm produce, but Vietnam holds only a 2% share – still modest compared to its agricultural production capacity and potential, which indicates vast growth potential in the EU if backed by a proper strategy.
Vietnam’s stock market has emerged as a key driver of economic growth, serving as a channel for medium- and long-term capital mobilisation and a launchpad for businesses to enhance governance and financial transparency, said insiders.
With clear planning and a complete legal framework, Vietnam could draw private firms’ participation in the project. This is not only about mobilising capital, but also about fostering supporting industries, improving management capacity, and advancing sustainable economic and social development.
The roundtable was regarded as one of the largest international aviation cooperation events held in Vietnam this year. It was positioned as an investment promotion platform, where businesses from both countries - particularly in the fields of aviation and hospitality - had the opportunity to meet, exchange insights, and explore new avenues for cooperation.
State-run Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed establishing an integrated air logistics centre and non-tariff zone at Long Thanh International Airport in Đồng Nai Province with an aim to turn it into a regional cargo gateway.
In the long term, greater transparency in project listings, administrative reform, and synchronised infrastructure investment will help position HCM City as a real estate hub in Southeast Asia. The city has the opportunity not only to attract FDI into real estate, but also to expand into finance, asset management, and associated services.
To fully harness the sector’s market potential, Vietnam’s coconut industry must pivot towards sustainable development. Eco-friendly cultivation methods, climate resilience, and emissions reduction will be vital in the coming phase.
Milk and dairy products contributed 74.8 million USD, down 11.7%, while exports of meat, meat by-products and post-slaughter by-products brought home 137.7 million USD, representing a 30.4% increase.
PM Pham Minh Chinh demanded a more effective fiscal policy to complement monetary efforts, directing the central bank to focus on exchange rates, interest rates and risk management.
WAGO Group proposed building a biomass power plant in Vinh Long where rice husks would be burned to generate steam for turbines, and the remaining ash would be processed into silica.
