Maxfield Brown, a representative of Dezan Shira & Associates, has said it is time for foreign investors to pour capital into infrastructure in Vietnam.

In his view, foreign direct investment in modern transportation infrastructure will help improve Vietnam’s competitiveness. 

Chairman of Confexhub Group Datuk Abdul Aziz S.A Kadir also saw opportunities when the Vietnamese government is striving to attract domestic and foreign investment in transportation and infrastructure projects, saying that Vietnam not only needs capital but also specialised technical knowledge, thus offering good chances for foreign investors, including those from Malaysia.

According to him, conventional funding sources, such as the State budget and official development assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors, and government bonds, could only cover about half of the demand. 

Investors at home and abroad are expected to be involved in infrastructure development through public-private partnership model, he said. 

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Investment and Trade Promotion Centre Cao Thi Phi Van said among 210 local projects calling for investment, many of them are in infrastructure that caught interest of Malaysian investors. 

Ho Chi Minh City always welcomes foreign investors, including those from Malaysia, to invest in trade, technology, culture, tourism, environment and infrastructure, she said, adding that the city is particularly interested in transportation infrastructure projects, including six metro lines that are pitching to capital, apart from industrial park and logistics infrastructure. 

Tran Ngoc Chinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, said Vietnam’s road and railway infrastructure remain poor so that more expressways need to be built in the future.