More than 50 serious pollution cases were discovered in 2016, including the mass fish deaths in four provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue in the central region.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam plans to have at least 10 hi-tech agriculture production zones comprising 200 enterprises by 2020. To date, it has attracted 20 enterprises. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has been successfully calling for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last 10 years, but in order to improve the quality of FDI projects, it needs new policies and technologies.

In order to attract more foreign investment, many Vietnamese localities are going above and beyond the central government’s investment incentives. And their ideas seem to be working. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Seven out of 15 of the richest billionaires in 2016 are businessmen in the real estate sector or sectors related to real estate.

VietNamNet Bridge - Though it is the country’s biggest granary and fishery area, exporting $30 billion worth of products each year, the Mekong Delta still cannot attract major investments.

VietNamNet Bridge - Many Vietnamese food items are not available on the world market, while export items often do not have a Vietnamese brand name.

VietNamNet Bridge - More and more merger and acquisition (M&A) deals in the food sector have occurred recently, with most of the buyers from Thailand, Japan and South Korea.

The latest report by the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) shows that only $490 million worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) was registered in November, the lowest level this year.

VietNamNet Bridge - The estimated overseas remittance to Vietnam in 2016 is expected to be roughly $5 billion, or 10 percent lower than the forecast of $5.5 billion. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The implementation of a series of projects on the beach dunes near Hoi An will create challenges for Hoi An in its path for sustainable development.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese manufacturers have found it difficult getting a foothold in the cosmetics market, valued at VND15 trillion (nearly $700 million) with a high growth rate of 20 percent per annum.  

South Korean-invested enterprises have found it difficult to transfer technology to Vietnamese workers because the employees often leave for cities to look for jobs, according to Ruy Hang Ha, chair of KoCham.

VietNamNet Bridge - Analysts have noted that a strong cash flow from tax havens are flowing to Vietnam. ‘Tax haven’ economies attract investors from all over the globe.

VietNamNet Bridge - The translation service market appears quiet, but it could generate $100 million in revenue a year.

VietNamNet Bridge - “I have to say that profits from real estate investment is relatively high,” said Tran Ngoc Quang, secretary general of the Vietnam Real Estate Association.

VietNamNet Bridge - As it is difficult to expand production scale due to the limited land fund in Vietnam, local investors are going abroad to develop their agricultural businesses.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has yet to become an industrialized country, but its pollution has already reached serious levels. If it worsens, Vietnam could surpass China in pollution levels.

VietNamNet Bridge - Following an invasion of South Korean barbecue restaurants, Korean food products have been entering the Vietnamese market through retail channels.

VietNamNet Bridge - The sharply increased demand for leased land in industrial zones (IZs) from foreign investors has prompted infrastructure developers to transfer IZ and port projects to earn profits.