Vietnam's overseas investment grows, focusing in Asia

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam 's overseas investment is expected to increase by 20 percent from 2007 to 500 million USD this year, said the Foreign Investment Department (FID), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

It is also the country's average growth rate in overseas investment
between now and 2010, FID added.

Sixteen years after Vietnam began bringing its investment capital to
other countries, it has now had 317 projects overseas with a total
registered capital of 2.5 billion USD, 1.3 billion USD of which has been
disbursed, the FID further said.

These projects have been conducted in 35 countries and territories, with 167
being carried out in Asia .

However, overseas investment is still modest with projects small in both
number and value, the FID said, citing inappropriate state policies,
businesses' low financial capacity and loose connection between businesses
and trade missions overseas as major hindrances.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment forecast Vietnam 's foreign
direct investment to exceed 40 billion USD this year.-Enditem.