Economy and commerce
Investment
Vietnam lists 17 sectors open for foreign investment

The Vietnamese government has published a list of 17 business sectors that are open to foreign investors, with some conditions, in a bid to improve the investment environment following this year’s record inflow of foreign capital. Until now, Vietnam – often criticized for a lack of ...
Vietnam's currency drops to limit of trading band for first time

Vietnam’s dong fell to the limit of its current trading band for the first time, reflecting further pressure to weaken after three devaluations already this year. The currency fell as much as 0.07 percent to 22,547 per dollar in Hanoi, diverging from the State Bank of ...
Starbucks opens doors in airport

The long-awaited Starbucks coffee chain opened its doors to passengers on 22 December in the Phnom Penh International Airport’s new terminal. Keep reading ...
Mekong area needs $3.8b for projects

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region will need more than VND86.3 trillion (US$3.83 billion) in the 2016-20 period to develop key infrastructure projects to fuel its economic growth, according to the Ministry of Transport. Around VND65 trillion ($2.8 billion) of the total funding will go to ...
Devaluation risk rises in Vietnam
Vietnam’s dong fell toward the brink of its permitted trading range as a ban on interest payments on US dollar deposits held onshore failed to cool speculation the currency is poised for its fourth devaluation in a year. The State Bank of Vietnam cut the dollar ...
Thailand's Tasco earmarks $61.8mln for M&A deals in Vietnam, Indonesia

Tipco Asphalt Pcl, or Tasco, a major asphalt manufacturer in Thailand, plans to acquire five companies in Vietnam and Indonesia for a total of $61.8 million, news website Deal Street Asia reported this week. Keep reading ...
Vietnam looking at $4 billion trade deficit in 2015

Vietnam could run up a US$4 billion trade deficit for the whole year after three consecutive years of a trade surplus, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) said. The trade deficit would account for 2.4 per cent of total exports, much lower than the set ...
ASEAN sets up EU-style free-flow market

The ASEAN Community was officially declared on 8 December by leaders of the 10 member states of ASEAN in a landmark moment promising greater regional integration for the 48-year-old group. The challenge of this association of nations, marked by diversity, can be seen in the words of ...
Vietnam health inspectors to check Pepsi, Coca-Cola products
The Ministry of Health has announced its plan to send inspectors to four of the biggest beverage companies in Vietnam, including Pepsi and Coca-Cola, for a thorough check of their products. Keep reading ...
Lanexang cement Lao factory officially starts production

Lanexang cement Lao factory in Khounkham district of Khammuan province has began production last week and aims to be one of the biggest cement suppliers in Laos. The Yunnan provincial Energy Investment Group Co., Ltd (YEIG) invested US$1.2 billon to build the factory. According to the company ...