Effectively implementing new policies to attract high-quality FDI capital flows

Despite the trend of declining global capital flows, in the first 10 months of 2025, foreign investment capital implemented in Vietnam reached a record high compared to the past 5 years.

Raw material production line for manufacturing solar panels at JA Solar Vietnam Co., Ltd., invested by Hong Kong (China) in Quang Chau Industrial Park ( Bac Ninh province). Photo: Danh Lam/VNA

The total registered capital also continued to increase, showing that Vietnam is becoming more attractive to foreign investors. However, many opinions said that it is necessary to continue to effectively implement new policies to effectively attract high-quality capital flows.

According to data from the General Statistics Office, Ministry of Finance , foreign direct investment (FDI) implemented in Vietnam in the first 10 months of 2025 is estimated at 21.3 billion USD, up 8.8% over the same period last year. This is the highest amount of foreign direct investment implemented in 10 months in the past 5 years, demonstrating foreign enterprises' confidence in Vietnam's investment policies and environment.

As of October 31, the total registered foreign investment capital in Vietnam (including: newly registered capital, adjusted registered capital and capital contribution value, share purchase value of foreign investors) reached 31.52 billion USD, up 15.6% over the same period last year. Accordingly, newly registered capital accounted for the largest proportion, with 3,321 licensed projects with registered capital reaching 14.07 billion USD, up 21.1% over the same period last year in terms of number of projects, however, the value decreased by 7.6% in terms of registered capital.

According to the assessment of the Foreign Investment Agency (Ministry of Finance), FDI attraction activities in the past 10 months have generally achieved positive results with many notable highlights, contributing positively to the overall economic growth results. This result not only reflects the attractiveness of the Vietnamese economy, but is also a clear demonstration of the relentless efforts in improving the investment and business environment in Vietnam.

To maintain the attraction and rise in the competition to attract FDI with countries in the region and continue to let capital flow into important areas in the economic development orientation in the coming time, in the petition sent to the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) 2025 recently held in Hanoi, foreign investors expect the Vietnamese Government to continue to remove obstacles related to taxes, customs, securities, infrastructure, energy, green economy, etc.

At the forum, FDI business associations said that although the number of investment projects in Vietnam at the end of the year did not have a sudden increase, many businesses have now come to Vietnam to seek opportunities in high-tech fields.

Mr. Hong Sun, Honorary Chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (KoCham), said that a number of businesses are approaching new policies in Vietnam in the fields of semiconductor chips and AI technology. After the success of some of those businesses, it will lead to second and third investors continuing to pay attention and invest in Vietnam.

According to Mr. Wakabayashi Koichi, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (JCCI), Japanese enterprises have shifted their investment direction from labor-intensive to increasing industrial value, developing human resources and infrastructure.

“We encourage the development of high value-added industries, including research and development (R&D), capacity building and energy transition projects, to demonstrate our commitment to a green, competitive and future-ready Vietnam,” said Mr. Wakabayashi Koichi.

In addition, foreign enterprises also highly appreciated the implementation of Vietnam's two-level government apparatus since July 1, which has helped enterprises shorten administrative procedures to implement investment projects. However, investors recommended that there should be clear guidelines and roadmaps to narrow the gap between the central and local levels, ensuring uniformity in governance nationwide.

Also at the forum, the VBF Investment and Trade Working Group recommended that there should be guarantees for business investment in case of changes in the law, as in reality investors are very concerned about this issue. Along with that, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) recommended improving the entry visa policy, which is considered not very competitive compared to other countries in the region (Thailand, Malaysia) which have more generous visa exemption policies.

The British Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (BritCham) and EuroCham recommended accelerating the progress of key transport projects (Long Thanh airport, expressway system, railway modernization); improving inter-provincial and cross-border connections; ensuring sustainability in new projects; cooperating with ASEAN countries in building infrastructure standards, sharing experiences and enhancing regional connectivity.

In addition, many opinions emphasized that in implementing issued policies on green economy, circular economy, digital transformation, etc., there needs to be specific and synchronous implementation solutions to anticipate the huge international capital flow in this field.

To welcome the new wave of FDI, on the local side, Ho Chi Minh City is promoting infrastructure development and improving the business environment. The city has committed to and has implemented a 30% reduction in administrative procedure time and costs, considering this a lever to attract new FDI capital flows. Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, informed: "The city will reduce administrative procedures in 3 factors: costs, time, and minimum procedural components by 30%".

However, for the new policies to be successful, foreign investors believe that regular dialogue platforms between the Government and investors, open discussions on policy impacts and operational challenges, and temporary legal measures to protect ongoing and planned projects, ensuring that they are not disrupted by sudden policy changes, are needed.

Many FDI investors also emphasized that Vietnam needs to continue to improve the investment environment, focusing on breakthrough solutions such as: reforming institutions and administrative procedures, developing high-quality human resources, perfecting coordination mechanisms between localities, improving environmental management capacity, and increasing the attraction of green and high-tech investment...

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/thuc-thi-hieu-qua-chinh-sach-moi-thu-hut-dong-von-fdi-chat-luong-cao-20251113110945347.htm