Total registered capital exceeds 510 billion USD, Vietnam is in the top 15 largest FDI attracting countries globally

Speaking at the Vietnam Connect Forum 2025 jointly organized by the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research (Central Policy and Strategy Committee) and Vietnam Economic Magazine, Deputy Minister of Finance Do Thanh Trung said that by the end of March 2025, Vietnam had more than 42,760 valid FDI projects, with a total registered capital exceeding 510 billion USD, ranking in the group of 15 countries attracting the largest FDI globally.

However, only about 5% of total FDI capital is invested in the high-tech sector, a figure that is assessed to be not commensurate with expectations.

We cannot continue to compete with cheap labor or low energy costs. Vietnam needs to move to a selective investment attraction stage, prioritizing industries with high technology content, using quality human resources and contributing to upgrading the value chain - Deputy Minister Do Thanh Trung commented.

Deputy Minister Do Thanh Trung affirmed that Vietnam is having a very suitable environment for FDI enterprises to develop. But to go far, we need to go together, needing sharing and contribution from the FDI business community itself.

Although the Party and the Government have issued many major policies to improve the efficiency of FDI attraction, according to the assessment, after 5 years of implementation, the results are still modest, especially in the shift to sectors with high added value.

Deputy Minister Do Thanh Trung frankly acknowledged that there are still inherent and key problems in the Vietnamese economy, affecting the speed and efficiency of investment attraction.

In response to that urgent requirement, the Vietnamese Government has identified the task of institutional reform and administrative modernization as a prerequisite. On the side of the specialized agency, Deputy Minister of Finance Do Thanh Trung affirmed that he will continue to promote reform of tax, customs and administrative procedures related to investment in the direction of automation, digitalization, transparency and reducing compliance costs for businesses.

"We are determined to reform extensively in many stages, from tax policies, customs procedures to investment processes. The goal is to improve efficiency, shorten processing time, reduce costs and contribute to creating the most favorable conditions for businesses to invest in production and business in Vietnam" - a representative of the Ministry of Finance pledged.

At the forum, Mr. Lim Dyi Chang - Senior Director of Enterprise Customer, UOB Bank Vietnam assessed that in the context of extensive shifts reshaping the global trade landscape, Vietnam is not only emerging as a bright spot in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), but also one of the potential markets that attract strong attention from international investors.

To maximize this potential, Mr. Lim Dyi Chang said that Vietnam needs to transform from a state that receives capital simply to a strategic partner, proactively creating value.

In particular, the success of an FDI strategy is not only measured by the amount of capital attracted, but more importantly, the efficiency that that capital flows bring, through improving industry capacity, developing the community, promoting technology transfer and actively contributing to the sustainable development of the region - Mr. Lim Dyi Chang recommended.