FDI disbursement hits record high

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam-based foreign direct investment (FDI) businesses have so far this year disbursed a record sum of 5 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 37.6 percent.

During the period, the country absorbed more than 31.6 billion USD worth
of FDI, tripling that of the corresponding period last year, according to
the Foreign Investment Department under the Ministry of Planning and
Investment.

The figure marks the country's record in FDI attraction so far.

The country licensed 487 projects totalling more than 30.9 billion USD
over the past six months while permitting 158 others to increase their
registered capital by 661.2 million USD.

Projects of note include nearly 7.9 billion USD Hung Nghiep Formosa
steel plant in central Ha Tinh province, 6.2 billion USD Nghi Son oil
refinery and a 4.23 billion USD tourism complex in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau
province, which will house convalescence centres, five-star hotels,
commercial centres and international conference halls.

During the six-month period, Taiwan became the top partner of Vietnam
among 31 countries and territories investing in the country with 64 projects
worth close to 8.2 billion USD, accounting for 26.4 percent of the total
registered capital. It was followed by Japan with 47 projects valued at
more than 7.1 billion USD and Canada with 3 projects worth over 4.2
billion USD.

According to the Foreign Investment Department, the new record made by
Vietnam in FDI attraction demonstrated foreign investors' trust in the
country's investment environment in spite of its spiraling inflation, price
fluctuation and construction materials price hike.-Enditem