|
Ministry suggests measures to increase FDI flow
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has suggested that several national sectors be opened up to overseas investors, ahead of the timescale demanded by its WTO commitments, as just one of a number of measures to ensure a greater flow of foreign direct investment into the country (FDI) during 2009 and 2010.
At a regular government session last month, the MPI proposed that Vietnam open up core service sectors such as healthcare-education, post office-telecoms, as well as its maritime and airways industries.
According to the ministry, doing so would help to improve the competitiveness of the country’s investment climate within the current context of the global economic downturn and a decrease in the number of FDI sources.
The MPI said that, over the past three years, FDI disbursement reached 23.6 billion USD, making up a higher proportion in total social investment from 16.2 percent in 2006 to 24.8 percent in 2007. During 2008, this proportion was estimated to be much higher, as the total amount of disbursed capital surged by 44 percent, compared to 2007.
However, poor infrastructure, particularly power and water supply systems, road networks, and seaports, is still a worrying issue for potential investors.
The MPI intends to formulate a plan to develop the nation’s infrastructure by 2020, in order to attract increased investment in infrastructure construction.
It pledged to encourage further investment in this field and vowed to give priority to projects involved in water supply and drainage systems, the environment, highways, railways and electricity generation.
A further session is scheduled to take place on Feb. 11, which will be attended by the MPI and relevant ministries, corporations and banks, who will discuss transport projects that take the form of BOT and BT and incorporate them into a list of future FDI-funded projects.
VNA
|
