Need selective strategy to attract FDI capital

2025 is a pivotal year for Vietnam to enter a new phase, a new era. Therefore, experts believe that Vietnam needs to carefully select FDI capital flows more effectively to meet the needs of the new era.

Vietnam Development Bridge Forum 2025: Vietnam - FDI Strategy in the New Era”

The above remarkable information was presented by economic experts at the Vietnam Development Bridge Forum 2025 - Vietnam Connect Forum 2025 co-organized by the Institute for Policy and Strategy Studies (Central Policy and Strategy Committee) and Vietnam Economic Magazine on April 23.

Reliable destination for FDI capital flows

This year’s annual forum focuses on three main groups of subjects: FDI enterprises, localities and Vietnamese enterprises. The forum aims to improve the operational efficiency and contributions of the FDI economic sector, promote Vietnamese localities to integrate into the international economy, and increase the participation of Vietnamese enterprises in global supply chains.

At the forum, Ms. Tran Thi Hong Minh - Director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy Studies assessed that 2025 is of great significance to the country. 2025 is also the year to summarize and evaluate 40 years of implementing the renovation - a pivotal year for the country to enter a new era.

Over the past 40 years, Vietnam's economy has grown rapidly, ranking among the top 15 countries in attracting FDI with nearly 400 projects.

In 2024, Vietnam will attract over 38 billion USD in registered FDI capital. By the end of the first quarter of 2025, the country will have attracted nearly 11 billion USD, recording a growth of 34.7%. This is a positive signal of the challenging global investment environment.

As of March 31, 2025, the country has 42,760 valid foreign investment projects with a total registered capital of 510.5 billion USD. The accumulated realized capital of foreign investment projects is estimated at nearly 327.5 billion USD, equivalent to nearly 64.2% of the total registered investment capital in effect.

“In the 2026-2030 period, Vietnam aims to attract about 40-50 billion USD of FDI capital each year, of which disbursed FDI capital will reach 30-40 billion USD each year,” said Ms. Minh.

Within the framework of this year's Forum, Mr. Tran Luu Quang - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Committee had a meeting, exchange and work with the delegation of business leaders, typical FDI investors in Vietnam, representatives of foreign business associations in Vietnam and leaders of provinces and cities.

The content of the working session will discuss the practical operations of FDI enterprises in Vietnam (advantages, difficulties, obstacles); assess and evaluate the impact of the new world context on the supply chain of enterprises; future strategies of enterprises in Vietnam, thereby proposing solutions to further promote the effectiveness of FDI enterprises in Vietnam and promote the attraction of new FDI projects.

Sharing the same opinion, Mr. Nguyen Hong Son, Deputy Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Committee, said that since the implementation of the Doi Moi process in 1986, the Communist Party of Vietnam 's viewpoint on FDI has always been consistent and continuous. This is demonstrated through Party congresses and thematic resolutions of the Politburo.

“The viewpoint on attracting FDI has emphasized criteria such as quality, efficiency, technology, and environment instead of just paying attention to quantity, especially registered capital; focusing on linking FDI with domestic enterprises; requiring specific incentive policies to promote value chains, technology transfer, and development of industrial clusters; and putting the issue of anti-transfer pricing and "hiding behind" on the level of legalization and management by technology,” Mr. Son affirmed.

Mr. Son informed that after nearly four decades of renovation, the investment environment in Vietnam has been continuously improved through administrative reform, legal perfection, infrastructure upgrades and human resource quality enhancement. Thanks to that, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for large international corporations.

According to data, by the end of March 2025, Vietnam had more than 42,760 valid FDI projects, with a total registered capital of more than 510 billion USD. The accumulated realized capital is estimated at nearly 327.5 billion USD, equivalent to nearly 64.2% of the total registered investment capital in effect. More and more multinational corporations and large enterprises with modern technology have been investing in Vietnam such as Samsung, Intel, Foxxcon, Amkor...

In 2024 alone, FDI will contribute 16.5% of total social investment capital, nearly 72% of total export turnover, and contribute more than 20 billion USD to the state budget.

In addition, preliminary statistics show that the FDI sector has contributed to creating more than 5 million jobs, improving the quality of human resources and bringing positive income to workers.

Experts say Vietnam needs to carefully select FDI capital flows more effectively to meet the needs of the new era.

FDI inflows are an important driving force for Vietnam to achieve its high growth target.

As a representative of a bank with a market share in the FDI lending sector, Mr. Lim Dyi Chang, Senior Director of Corporate Banking, UOB Vietnam, commented that in the context of profound shifts that are reshaping the global trade landscape, Vietnam is not only emerging as a bright spot in attracting FDI capital flows but is also one of the potential markets attracting strong interest from international investors.

According to Mr. Lim Dyi Chang, Vietnam has not only emerged as an attractive destination for FDI capital flows, but also plays a strategic role in the regional value chain, connecting ASEAN economies.

To maximize this potential, Mr. Lim Dyi Chang believes that Vietnam needs to transform itself from a mere capital recipient into a strategic partner, proactively creating value.

“In particular, the success of the FDI strategy is not only measured by the amount of capital attracted, but more importantly, the effectiveness that capital flow brings, through improving industry capacity, developing the community, promoting technology transfer and actively contributing to the sustainable development of the region,” Mr. Lim Dyi Chang emphasized.

Vietnam is increasingly asserting its position as an attractive destination for international investors, so to maintain and develop its position as an FDI center, Mr. Lim Dyi Chang suggested that Vietnam needs to focus on 7 key factors to maintain competitiveness and sustainability in the future.

Firstly, prioritize the development of modern and synchronous infrastructure, especially in the fields of logistics, energy and digital connectivity - essential foundations to ensure operational efficiency and business scalability.

Second, maintaining a transparent, stable and effective legal environment, thereby contributing to strengthening investor confidence and enhancing national competitiveness.

Third, promote close cooperation between the public and private sectors, especially in the areas of human resource development, regulatory compliance and innovation – key factors for long-term competitiveness.

Fourth, it is necessary to maintain an open and efficient financial ecosystem, support capital circulation, meet diverse funding needs, and promote financial innovation.

Fifth, the strong development of the middle class not only promotes domestic consumption but also plays an important role in supplying skilled labor to Vietnam in the coming time.

Sixth, strong commitment to sustainable development and ESG standards, which are essential factors in investment decisions of global financial institutions.

Finally, there is a need to develop flexible policies that are appropriate to the development of the digital economy, thereby facilitating innovation in an effective governance environment.

In the current context of fluctuations and challenges, the Deputy Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Commission affirmed that this is a time that requires closer than ever cooperation between the Party, the State of Vietnam and the business community, including foreign-invested enterprises, to create new values.

“We cannot go far if we go alone and can only make a breakthrough when we work together. The cooperation between Vietnam and the FDI business community, if built on a foundation of strategic trust and long-term vision, will be the key for us to overcome challenges and conquer “new horizons” of sustainable development, creativity and prosperity,” Mr. Nguyen Hong Son emphasized.

Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/can-chien-luoc-chon-loc-thu-hut-von-fdi-163245.html