Foreign direct investment (FDI) pledges to Vietnam in the first three months of 2020 fell by a sharp 20.9% over the same period of 2019 to US$8.55 billion, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

Bac Lieu province grants a permit for a foreign-invested LNG power station project. (Photo: VNA)
Disbursement also dropped by 6.6% year-on-year to US$3.85
billion, data as of March 20 has shown.
In the first quarter, Vietnam
licensed 758 foreign-invested projects worth a total of US$5.5 billion, mainly
thanks to a US$4 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant in the
southern province of Bac Lieu.
Such an investment made Bac
Lieu the largest recipient of foreign investment and power generation the most
attractive industry during the period.
Additional pledges to
existing projects and capital contributions and share purchases saw steep
declines to US$1.07 billion and US$2 billion, respectively.
With power generation
occupying the top place, manufacturing was the second most attractive sector
with US$2.72 billion, followed by wholesale and retail with US$682 million.
Ho Chi Minh City was the
second largest recipient of foreign investment with over US$1 billion while the
southern province of Tay Ninh came third with US$506.8 million.
A breakdown of investors
shows that Singapore made the largest investment in Vietnam in the
January-March period with US$4.54 billion, followed by Japan and China with
US$846.7 million and US$815.6 million, respectively.
As of March 20, there were
over 31,600 active foreign-invested projects in the country with total pledges
of US$370 billion, of which 58.3% had been disbursed.
Source: NDO
After more than four years of implementing a project launched by the Hoa Binh Party Committee’s Standing Board on developing agriculture and promoting product consumption linked with building new-style rural areas for the 2021-2025 period, the province’s industry and trade sector has made significant strides, greatly contributing to local socio-economic development.
Luong Son district has identified 2025 as the year for the accelerated breakthrough to successfully implement the socio-economic development plan for the 5-year period from 2021 to 2025. The district has been focusing on executing the plans and trying to achieve a GRDP growth rate of approximately 15%.
Since the beginning of this year, under the direction of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Product Quality Management has strengthened the integration of the professional activities to promote and guide the organizations and individuals in the production and trading of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to comply with the legal regulations regarding the use of chemicals, pesticides and veterinary medicines in crop cultivation, livestock farming and aquaculture. They also provide guidance to processing and manufacturing establishments on keeping the records to trace the product origins and using food additives from the approved list according to the regulations.
Hoa Binh province saw a significant rise in state budget revenue in the first two months of 2025, heard a meeting chaired by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Quach Tat Liem.
Ha Thi Ha Chi, a 26-year-old graduate in law, has taken an unconventional path by returning to her hometown in Mai Chau district to establish the Tong Dau Cooperative, creating stable jobs for local women and bringing Thai ethnic brocade weaving to the global market.
As the Lunar New Year 2025 approached, pork prices surged, creating a profitable season for farmers in Tan Vinh commune, Luong Son district. Taking advantage of the rising demand, Can Minh Son, a farmer from Coi hamlet, sold over 30 pigs at 69,000 VND/kg, each weighing more than 100 kg. After deducting expenses, his family earned a profit of over 50 million VND.