It was very refreshing to hear so much positivity about doing business and investing Vietnam at a roundtable luncheon on 26 September. Statistics are all pointing up with FDI enjoying strong growth, including greenfield investment which is up 36%, phone, computers and technology exports growing over 20% year on year, and tourism bouncing back after the pandemic. 

Consul General of Vietnam Le Duc Hanh said 61% of FDI in the country was in the manufacturing sector, and that the Government is encouraging more quality investment and infrastructure development. 

CEO of HSBC Vietnam Tim Evans pointed out that Vietnam has set a carbon neutral target by 2050, which is wooing large corporations as it aligns with their corporate strategy. He was bullish on growth of the economy, forecasting 6.5% growth this year and also in 2025. 

Anthony Lam, CEO of Golden Resources Development, which operates nearly 500 Circle K stores in the country, said consumers are very comfortable with online payments, with most people using their phones to pay with apps like Alipay. Although traditional markets are still very popular, he believes there is huge room from ecommerce to grow, given the young and tech savvy population.