Banking & Finance

Decree No. 65 on the private placement of bonds, issued by the government on September 16, has many new features and strict regulations on both issuers and investors. It has been supplemented with regulations stating that issuers are required to have credit ratings in certain cases, improving the obligation of issuers to disclose information to investors, and improving the professionalism of investors.

Demand for green finance in Vietnam was discussed by experts at the “Green bond market development and financial resource mobilization for green and sustainable growth” conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 30. To further promote the green bond market, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said it is coordinating with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to complete the Prime Minister’s draft Decision on a green classification list. The MoF will also recommend that relevant authorities issue policies to increase incentives for green bonds.

A report from Batdongsan.com.vn shows that the heat in Binh Duong province’s real estate market was maintained in the first and second quarters of 2022, with asking prices increasing 27 per cent year-on-year. JLL, meanwhile, said the southern province is one of two leading supply and recorded the most sales, with 1,076 units sold.

A pioneer in digital transformation, Vietnam’s banking sector has invested VND15 trillion ($628.94 million) to date in the endeavor. As a result, Vietnam has become one of the leading countries in terms of digital banking application, which has increased from 41 per cent in 2015 to 82 per cent in 2021; higher than the average increase of 33 per cent in emerging markets.

The General Department of Taxation has said that five months after introducing an e-portal for foreign e-commerce providers, 30 major players such as Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Netflix, TikTok, and eBay have registered and paid taxes totaling $22.2 million.

Analysts have made positive comments about the government’s new regulations on supplementing compulsory credit ratings in certain cases for corporate bonds issued for private placement, which will apply from January 1, 2023. Some 700 businesses have bonds in circulation, totaling VND1.5 quadrillion ($63 billion), more than 43 per cent of which are enterprises subject to credit ratings.