Unleashing international capital flows
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan, member of the Advisory Group for the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh City International Finance Center, said that the International Finance Center will become a connecting point, helping investors easily access projects for funding and lending, ensuring transparency between the capital-needing party and the capital-provider. By creating a playground with clear regulations according to international standards, projects listed here will automatically have a guarantee of transparency and safety. This helps international investors feel more confident when disbursing, thereby strongly promoting the flow of green capital into Vietnam.
As a researcher on finance - banking and green finance, Mr. Huan believes that the establishment of the International Finance Center plays an important role in attracting finance and green credit from international organizations.
Mr. Kim Byoungho, Chairman of HDBank , shared that the Saigon Marina International Financial Center (IFC), inaugurated in August 2025, demonstrates the aspiration of HD Financial Group with HDBank as its core, towards the position of the leading financial group in Vietnam and reaching international level.
Vietnam is promoting the construction of an international financial center to attract global capital. This will be a platform for banks to access international resources, develop green credit and support the transition to a sustainable economy . 
“We will unlock global capital, open the door to international investors and turn IFC into a bridge connecting Vietnam with the world , based on digital platforms, AI and blockchain payment solutions,” he said.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thuy Hanh, General Director and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam, if the International Financial Center is successfully built, Vietnam will have great opportunities in capital management, international payments and cash flow management. International financial centers often bring low operating costs, flexible legal frameworks and favorable business environments. Investors located here will enjoy tax incentives, simple procedures and access to many modern financial products such as digital banks, digital currencies, foreign exchange transactions, commodity indices, complex risk management tools and capital concentration mechanisms.
Opportunities to mobilize green capital
Ms. Nguyen Thuy Hanh emphasized that if the International Finance Center is managed uniformly, costs and legal compliance procedures will be reduced, and cash flows will be more transparent. More importantly, the International Finance Center can apply ESG and IFRS standards - something that many Vietnamese banks have not fully implemented. This will be a stepping stone for businesses to mobilize green capital domestically and internationally for sustainable projects.
Sharing the same view, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan added that to achieve the “net zero” target by 2030, Vietnam needs to spend about 7% of GDP each year on green credit. Therefore, attracting capital from foreign financial institutions is essential, along with perfecting the legal framework and improving market transparency. In addition, Vietnam also needs to develop diverse products such as credit, green bonds, etc. In particular, the International Finance Center will be a destination for international investment funds to easily access projects, saving time and search costs.
The International Finance Center is also expected to create a green finance market, green bonds, carbon credits, and even ESG-labeled loans. According to the World Bank, Vietnam needs about 6.8% of GDP per year, equivalent to 368 billion USD by 2040, to move towards a green economy and net zero emissions by 2050.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, General Secretary of the Banking Association, said that businesses are mobilizing international capital to invest in technology that meets ESG standards. However, the proportion of outstanding green credit currently accounts for less than 4.5% of total outstanding loans. In the past 5 years, only 1.16 billion USD of green bonds have been issued - a very small number compared to the capital demand of about 20 billion USD per year for green transformation.
The establishment of the International Finance Center not only solves the capital problem, but also helps Vietnamese banks and businesses improve their reputation in the international financial market. By complying with ESG standards, businesses will increase their access to cheap capital, reduce legal risks and expand cooperation opportunities with global corporations. Banks also have the conditions to develop specialized green financial products, creating a competitive advantage over competitors in the region.
At the macro level, the International Financial Center will contribute to putting Vietnam on the map of regional financial centers, comparable to Singapore, Hong Kong or Dubai. If well utilized, this will not only be a green capital mobilization channel, but also a tool to support Vietnam's deep integration, increasing its resilience to global economic fluctuations.
Source: https://baodautu.vn/trung-tam-tai-chinh-quoc-te-co-hoi-de-ngan-hang-huy-dong-them-nguon-von-xanh-d403140.html
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