As much as 10.13 billion USD worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) was injected into Vietnam in the first three months of the year to March 20, a year-on-year increase of 18.5 percent, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

As much as 10.13 billion USD worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) was injected
into Vietnam in the first three months of the year to March 20, a year-on-year
increase of 18.5 percent (Illustrative photo: VNA)

As much as 10.13 billion USD worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) was injected into Vietnam in the first three months of the year to March 20, a year-on-year increase of 18.5 percent, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Investment licences were granted to 234 new projects with total registered capital of 7.2 billion USD, rising 30.6 percent against the same period last year.

Meanwhile, 161 existing projects added 2.1 billion USD to their investment capital, a surge of 97.4 percent compared to the same time last year.

On the contrary, capital contributions and shares purchases by foreign investors were down 58.8 percent to stand at 805.3 million USD.

Foreign investors pumped capital in 17 sectors, with processing and manufacturing holding the lead with over 5 billion USD or 49.6 percent, followed by power production and distribution with 3.9 billion USD (38.9 percent), real estate 600 million USD, and science-technology nearly 167 million USD.

Singapore topped the list of 56 countries and territories landing investment in Vietnam, with nearly 4.6 billion USD, equivalent to nearly 45.6 percent of the total. Japan came second with about 2.1 billion USD (20.8 percent), and the Republic of Korea third with 1.2 billion USD (11.8 percent).

The FIA said the Mekong Delta province of Long An lured the lion’s share of FDI in the reviewed period with 3.2 billion USD, accounting for 32.1 percent of the total. Can Tho city of the same region was the runner-up since it attracted nearly 1.3 million USD, or 13.1 percent. Hai Phong northern port city came third with 946 million USD (9.4 percent).

So far this year, the foreign-invested sector has earned close to 58.6 billion USD from exports, including crude oil, up 27.5 percent year-on-year, and making up 76.4 percent of the nation’s total export turnover./.