Vietnam has emerged in SE Asia as an important energy, natural oil and gas producer. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The economic performance in recent months, especially in May, shows that the national economy may not maintain the high growth rate seen in the first quarter.

VietNamNet Bridge - The report on the GDP growth scenario of Vietnam in 2018 does not include the strengthening of oil exploitation, which had been expected.

VietNamNet Bridge - A Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) report has found that most domestic logistics firms are small or very small with limited financial capability. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese economists all believe the possibility of a US-China trade war outbreak is low, but, if it occurs, Vietnam would face both challenges and opportunities.

VietNamNet Bridge - Jim Rogers, the co-founder of Quantum Fund, a familiar name in investors’ circles, has predicted an eventual global recession. How is Vietnam preparing for the scenario?

VietNamNet Bridge - Tran Du Lich, a respected economist, said at a recent annual workshop on the  economy that there are two risks for Vietnam – the middle-income trap, and the risk of growing older (working-age population) before becoming rich. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has been advised to attract more Chinese tourists from first-class cities who travel regularly, book tours via online channels, and spend big money on trips. 

Despite Brexit and the US withdrawal from the TPP, which are expected to have adverse effects on Vietnam’s economy, foreign experts and investors still have a positive impression of the economy’s performance.

Though Vietnam has managed a modest rise in its overall score, it still is at the bottom position in the region in the latest ranking by the US-based Heritage Foundation in terms of economic freedom.

VietNamNet Bridge - The government needs to take action to reduce the size of the informal economic sector, economists say.

The latest report about the Vietnam macroeconomy released by the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM) shows that macroeconomic indicators are relatively good.

The General Statistics Office is working on a plan to assess the value created by the informal economic sector as per the government’s request. 

Fulbright University estimates that Vietnam’s informal economic sector makes up 25-30 percent of total GDP and has 57 percent of total number of workers.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc at MPI’s year-end summation conference last week again requested the General Statistics Office (GSO) to re-calculate GDP. 

Vietnam finally gained a high GDP growth rate of 6.81 percent in 2017, which was  higher than the targeted 6.7 percent which many analysts thought would be unattainable. Will it occur again this year?

The 6.81 percent GDP growth rate in 2017 has been announced by GSO (General Statistics Office), the only agency in Vietnam in charge of providing official statistics. However, leading experts question the figure.

VietNamNet Bridge - 2017 was a good year for Vietnam’s banking sector with big profits for many banks and a decreased bad debt ratio.

Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has selected what it considers to be the 10 most outstanding economic events of Vietnam in 2017.

Viet Nam’s benchmark stock index, VN-Index, could exceed 1,300 points in 2018 due to the positive outlook for the country’s economic growth and a strong inflow of foreign investment.