VnEconomy - Vietnam Economic Times

Vietnam Economic Times July, 13 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:16:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 465 | Monday, July 13 2026

Dear readers,

For every country hoping to develop, there must be a range of resources at hand, of which land is among the most important and has a direct impact on economic growth.

Land, seen as a special resource of a nation and an important factor for national development, is managed in line with every country’s legal system. In Vietnam, land belongs to the entire people, with the State acting as the owners’ representative and uniformly managing it. The management, protection, and effective use of land resources are not only aimed at economic growth and ensuring sustainable development but also contribute to maintaining the country’s political stability and social order and safety.

Politburo Resolution No. 79-NQ/TW, dated January 6, 2026, on the development of the State economy, considers land “strategic capital,” placing it at the center of a strategy for mobilizing and allocating all resources for sustainable growth.

One question that arises, however, is how to manage, protect, allocate, and use land so that this “strategic capital” can achieve the greatest efficiency, thus creating momentum for the country’s socio-economic development. The answer largely depends on the effectiveness of land policies. The ultimate measure for evaluating the effectiveness of a modern land policy is how much value each square meter of land generates for the economy.

In his directive at the “Directions for perfecting the legal institution on land, amending the Land Law toward the goal of liberating resources for socio-economic development in the new era” seminar, organized by the Economic and Financial Committee of the National Assembly on July 1, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized that land is a special resource of the nation, a special means of production, and an important resource for national development; and land use rights are an important input factor for socio-economic development investment.

The reality shows that there remain many shortcomings and even deficiencies and errors in the management, protection, allocation, and use of land resources in Vietnam, leading to land-based waste and violations, especially in the real estate sector. As a result, the potential for land resources to contribute effectively to the country’s development is still to be fully realized.

To provide readers with the latest information on land resources as well as issues related to the management, allocation, and use of land in Vietnam, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on the topic of effective land management and use, creating resources for socio-economic development in the new era, with a series of articles that analyze the potential and advantages of land resources and solutions for creating added value from land. They also identify how land has been used in an inefficient manner, thus leading to waste, along with shortcomings and inadequacies in the legal framework and land management policies, especially those regarding land planning, land use planning, land use duration, land allocation, land leasing, land valuation and appraisal, bidding for land use rights, land recovery, and compensation, support, and resettlement when the State recovers land, etc.

While proposing a range of solutions to help address such issues, the articles also recommend amendments to the Land Law, the Law on Real Estate Business, and the Law on Housing, in order to build a modern and synchronized land governance system. In such a context, private enterprises are also encouraged to participate in implementing rental housing projects, as directed by Party and State leaders, to promptly meet the housing needs of workers, especially those in industrial parks and key economic regions throughout the country.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

Vietnam Economic Times July, 06 2026

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:10:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 464 | Monday, July 06 2026

Dear readers,

The organizational model for Vietnam’s political system, which includes a three-tiered administrative system (with the district level abolished), has now been in operation for exactly a year, since July 1, 2025.

Addressing a national conference on July 1 in Hanoi to review the model, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam concluded that it must deliver new governance capacity, with decentralization matched by greater accountability, digital data supporting new management methods, and the restructured administrative system providing higher-quality public services for citizens and businesses.

His message clearly reflects the country’s development orientation in the new phase, with a streamlined organizational structure aimed at improving governance efficiency, reducing social costs, and creating a favorable environment for all stakeholders.

2026 is the first year of the 5-year socio-economic development plan (2026-2030), adopted by the 14th National Party Congress and with a prominent focus on posting annual double-digit growth throughout the 2026-2030 period.

The 2026 socio-economic development plan, together with the 5-year plan, is being implemented in the context of the three-tier government model being operated in a stable manner.

The model represents a fundamental advantage, enabling Vietnam’s economy to record a host of positive results in the first half of 2026, amid a volatile global economy and impacts from the military conflict in the Middle East, which pushed up oil prices and logistics costs globally.

Socio-economic data released on July 3 by the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance paints a bright picture of Vietnam’s economy in the second quarter and the first half of the year, with the highlight being economic growth in the second quarter of 8.39 per cent; the highest second-quarter growth for 15 years, since 2011. As a result, overall GDP growth for the first half reached 8.18 per cent. Many other socio-economic indicators, such as investment attraction and disbursement (both domestic and foreign), import and export turnover, total retail sales of goods and services, the number of newly-established enterprises, and the number of tourist arrivals and total tourism service revenue, among others, also posted positive performance.

However, the growth rate in the first half fell short of requirements for reaching the double-digit target for the year as a whole, meaning that greater growth pressure will now be placed on the second half of the year. This is why, in Resolution No. 168/NQ-CP, issued on June 27, 2026, updating the growth scenario and key solutions in the remaining two quarters to achieve the 2026 target of 10 per cent or more while maintaining macro-economic stability, the government set a growth rate for the second half of 11.9 per cent.

To provide readers with the latest on the current state of the organizational model for the political system and the three-tiered government model after a year of operation, as well as socio-economic development in the second quarter and the first half of 2026, our Cover Story in this edition, along with the full text of the speech by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam at the conference, focuses on analyzing the socio-economic achievements recorded in the second quarter and the first half, while forecasting the economic outlook for the second half, with priority on the double-digit growth target for the year as a whole, as outlined by the 14th National Party Congress.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

[Interactive]: Economic overview - June 2026

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 01:35:00 GMT

An overview of Vietnam's economy in June and the first six months of 2026.

-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

Vietnam Economic Times June, 29 2026

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 463 | Monday, June 29 2026

Dear readers,

The Hanoi Capital Master Plan with a 100-year Vision, officially approved by the Hanoi People’s Committee on May 13, 2026, reflects the overarching philosophy of “Cultural Heritage - Civilization - Modernity,” with one of its standout features being the city’s strategic infrastructure network, primarily consisting of ring roads and urban railway lines, among others.

Under the Master Plan, the capital’s urban railway system is to include 16-19 lines in the future, with a projected total length of over 1,000 km, 400-450 km of which are to be completed by 2035.

On the morning of June 22, in the presence of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Hanoi broke ground at five new urban railway lines, at a total length of some 303.5 km and with preliminary total investment of over VND1,300 trillion (nearly $50 billion), marking a key milestone in the journey of realizing the 100-year vision for Vietnam’s capital.

This is the first time any city in Vietnam has simultaneously commenced the construction of five urban railway lines.

With basic completion expected by 2030, the new lines will connect Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi Railway Station, Ngoc Hoi, Hoa Lac, Co Loa, Ocean Park, and other dynamic development areas in the capital.

The simultaneous breaking of ground at the five large-scale projects marks an important shift for Hanoi, from a model of investing in standalone urban railway lines to investing in an interconnected network that will serve as a framework for organizing urban transportation space, as outlined in the 100-year Master Plan.

According to transportation experts, many countries use the benchmark of 100 km of urban railway as a measure for determining the effectiveness of this mode of transport within urban transportation systems. The 100-km mark also represents a sufficiently-large market scale to attract businesses to take part in the railway industry, and when the market is large enough, companies are motivated to invest, develop production, research technology, and train human resources for the urban railway network.

Clearly, the project building five urban railway lines in Hanoi, which have a total length of over 300 km, not only contributes to gradually forming a modern and convenient interconnected public transport network across the city, under the Transit- Oriented Development (TOD) model, but will also create an important milestone when completed, affirming the “market size” of Hanoi’ urban railway network to attract both domestic and foreign businesses to invest in the railway industry in the capital specifically and in the country as a whole.

However, questions arise as to how the project will be implemented, especially regarding investment, construction progress and quality, and the multifaceted impacts on the residential areas these railway lines are to pass through, along with finding effective solutions to such issues.

To provide readers with the latest information on the five new railway lines, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on presenting an overview of the project and its colossal investment of nearly $50 billion. Expert perspectives are provided on overall transportation infrastructure development and the heavy debt burden that may arise when the necessary capital sources are mobilized.

Hanoi’s public transportation landscape is set to change, with analysis provided on urban real estate development under the TOD model - which has emerged as a revolutionary model for urban restructuring in the 21st century - and the various effects the five railway line projects will have.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

Vietnam Economic Times June, 22 2026

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 462 | Monday, June 22 2026

Dear readers,

On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - 2026), Party General Secretary and State President To Lam penned an article entitled “Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism in the Digital Era,” affirming the key role and responsibility of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism in the current era, with its mission of being “a place where the public turns for reliable verification” and “a trusted source” for society “to understand the truth accurately.” Vietnam’s leader also provides guidance on revolutionary journalism continuing to develop and maintain its dominant role in the flow of information in the digital space, thus becoming the main force to “protect national information sovereignty.”

Vietnam Economic Times respectfully introduces a translation of this important article.

Meanwhile, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on analyzing the national housing development strategy, with a focus on finding solutions for the “rental housing problem.”

Developing rental housing is a major policy of the Party and State, as reflected in Directive No. 34-CT/TW, dated May 24, 2024, from the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and the conclusion of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam at a working session on May 19 with several agencies on the implementation of the Directive. Accordingly, alongside housing for sale, priority will be given to developing rental housing, especially rental apartment models in major urban areas, industrial parks, economic zones, dynamic regions, and important economic corridors.

Chairing a working session with leaders from the northern port city of Hai Phong and the nearby provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, and Hung Yen on developing rental housing, as directed by the Party General Secretary and State President, in Hai Phong on June 1, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung stated that there is a need to strongly shift the mindset on housing, from primarily developing housing for sale to simultaneously developing both commercial housing and rental housing. The Prime Minister also identified the “first bottleneck” in implementing a rental housing development policy: high demand while supply is severely lacking, especially for long-term rentals at affordable prices.

To resolve this “first bottleneck,” it is clear that all resources need to be focused, with concerted and synchronized efforts from the central government to localities, to quickly develop rental housing and gradually bridge the “mismatch” between supply and demand in the segment, which is now considered the top priority in the real estate market.

Developing rental housing in a fast, transparent, well-planned, and sustainable manner is the right direction to take to turn a major policy from the Party and State into reality, so that people, especially poor and near-poor households, and workers in industrial parks can soon benefit from a socially-humane policy, helping to narrow inequality and ensuring the right to safe housing for all social classes. This will also help alleviate many other bottlenecks in Vietnam’s real estate market, ease the pressure from rising real estate prices, limit real estate speculation, and ensure that the market develops healthily, thus attracting investment capital from the private sector and foreign investors for building, developing, and operating the real estate market in a transparent, professional, and modern manner.

Solutions for developing rental housing, with the leading and enabling role of the State affirmed, as introduced in our Cover Story, include forming a rental housing ecosystem to mobilize long-term and sustainable capital, identifying a harmonious real estate market structure, and boosting the supply of rental housing, among others.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

VET-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

Vietnam Economic Times June, 15 2026

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:18:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 460+461 | Monday, June 08 - June 15 2026

Dear readers,

The journalism community across Vietnam joyfully welcomes a new milestone as revolutionary journalism turns 101 years old on June 21, with many new achievements posted and the community continuing to earn the trust of and recognition from the Party, the State, and the people.

The history of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalism is always intertwined with the glorious history of the nation, as journalism is a part of history, and journalists, with their mission to “record history,” not only document and reflect events but also analyze and interpret them, contributing to raising awareness and organizing and encouraging the masses to participate in revolutionary movements initiated and led by the Party.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam once affirmed: “The press has done a great job in propagating and widely disseminating the Party’s major policies and orientations regarding the ‘New Era,’ in the streamlining of the political system, and in the efforts and determination to address ‘bottlenecks’ hindering the country’s development. These contributions are not only the result of creative labor but also a testament to the courage, intellect, and social responsibility of the journalism community in fulfilling its historic mission.”

Also in June, Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam/ Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy celebrates the 35th anniversary of innovation and development.

Over the past 35 years, the organization has made much progress in terms of circulation, information content, readership, and technological application and development.

Moreover, all of its publications serve as a bridge between enterprises, both domestic and foreign, and readers, helping all sides better understand each other’s needs.

Of these publications, Vietnam Economic Times (the English-language version of Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam), which was launched on March 15, 1994, along with its online version, which was rolled out much later, on November 11, 2014, has become a companion of enterprises nationwide in general and FDI enterprises in particular. It has not only provided enterprises with necessary economic information but also become their “playground.”

On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day and the 35th anniversary of Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam / Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy, our Special Report and Cover Story in this double edition focuses on the position and role of the press in the AI era, emphasizing journalism’s social monitoring and criticism functions, and the need for innovation and creativity, digital transformation, and mastering new technologies in journalism to better serve the public in the digital era, while affirming the value of economic journalism, with Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam / Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy acting as main players in creating and disseminating information to quench the “thirst” for knowledge among policymakers, research centers, management agencies, and the business community and the public in general.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

VET-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

[Interactive]: Economic overview - May 2026

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:30:00 GMT

An overview of Vietnam's economy in May and the first five months of 2026.

-Vietnam Economic Times/ VnEconomy

Vietnam Economic Times June, 01 2026

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:30:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 459 | Monday, June 01 2026

Dear readers,

As mentioned in last week’s edition of Vietnam Economic Times, in order to achieve the goal of making Vietnam a developed, high-income country by 2045, a pressing requirement is to strongly reform the country’s development model as it enters the new era.

To meet this requirement, the Central Commission for Policy and Strategy is preparing a project entitled “Reforming Vietnam’s Development Model Based on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation.” The associated national scientific conference on the topic, hosted by the Commission in Hai Phong on May 26, achieved unexpected results and represented an important step forward for the endeavor.

In his opening speech, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Politburo Member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and Chairman of the Central Commission for Policy and Strategy, emphasized that the documents from the 14th Party Congress confirmed the need to reform the national development model toward modernization, sustainability, digitization, and knowledge-based approaches, with science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation serving as the main driving forces for the country’s rapid and sustainable development.

As a result, the conference clarified the theoretical foundations for and domestic and international experience in a national development model, while focusing on reforming Vietnam’s model, with science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation serving as a foundation.

The conference also assessed the current state of Vietnam’s development model after 40 years of implementing the “Doi Moi” (Economic Renewal) policy, emphasizing that the guideline for reforming the model based on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation approved by the 14th National Party Congress will act as a foundation for reshaping a new model for the country.

Based on this, the conference established the main contents of the national development model for the 2026-2045 period, while proposing objectives, roadmaps, tasks, and solutions for reforming the model based on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Mr. Doan Minh Huan, Politburo Member and Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, affirmed that the results of the gathering have initially helped “shape a relatively systematic framework of understanding about the national development model in the new era, in which science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation play a foundational role, serving as the central driving force for modern national governance and reforming development methods.”

To provide readers with updated information on Vietnam’s policy for reforming its national development model in the new era, our Cover Story in this edition reflects on and analyzes matters discussed at the conference, with a view to clarifying the concept of a new development model and its structural framework and specific components, to distinguish it from the growth model, while highlighting the theoretical and practical significance of the research results for the new development model in the process of planning and organizing the implementation of development strategies, with the ultimate goal of securing consensus, both theoretically and perceptually, on shaping the new development model for the country based on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, along with breakthrough solutions in many aspects, primarily institutional reforms to enable development.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

VET-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

Vietnam Economic Times May, 25 2026

Thu, 28 May 2026 09:10:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 458 | Monday, May 25 2026

Dear readers,

Countries and territories around the world have established a range of different socio-economic development models since the mid-20th century, and it is evident that there is no one-size-fits-all model for every economy. There is also no unified definition of a national development model, as each organization or country has different perspectives, economic thinking, and approaches for determining what this entails.

Regardless, a national development model can be generally understood as a set of mechanisms, financial policies, public investment, infrastructure development, and institutional reforms aimed at shifting the production structure from a low-productivity state to a higher and more sustainable productivity state.

The success of the development model Vietnam has applied for nearly 40 years, since its “Doi Moi” (Economic Renewal) policy was approved by the 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in December 1986, is beyond dispute. However, the success of yesterday is often no longer suitable for today or tomorrow, given the changing circumstances.

In the context of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation playing a dominant role in all aspects of life globally and becoming the central driving force to enhance Vietnam’s labor productivity, improve its competitiveness, and allow it to reach its aspirations for rapid and sustainable development while preventing any risk of lagging behind, the country must transition to a development model based on scientific and technological foundations, innovation, and digital transformation.

According to the socio-economic development orientation for the 2026-2030 period, approved by the 14th National Congress of the CPV, Vietnam’s annual economic growth rate during this period must reach at least 10 per cent. To achieve what is considered the highest growth target in the history of the country’s development, the Party has also established a new growth model based on scientific and technological foundations, innovation, and digital transformation.

At a working session with the Central Commission for Policy and Strategy on assessing national development resources in connection with growth targets and the establishment of a new growth model, held on May 20, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasized that the ambitious goals set out in the documents from the 14th National Party Congress and the 2026-2030 socio-economic development plan cannot be achieved by simply extending the old growth model.

Thus, transitioning to a new growth model based on scientific and technological foundations, innovation, and digital transformation is no longer merely a trend but has become a confirmed strategic choice for Vietnam.

To provide additional information for the national scientific workshop with the theme “Reforming Vietnam’s Development Model Based on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation,” to be co-hosted by the Central Commission for Policy and Strategy, the Party Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committee of Hai Phong, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and the Central Theoretical Council, and co-organized by the Communist Review, the National Political Publishing House, the Vietnam Economic Association, and Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy, in Hai Phong on the morning of May 26, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on analyses, interpretations, and recommendations from academics, experts, and scientists regarding the new development model based on achievements in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy

Vietnam Economic Times May, 18 2026

Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Vietnam Economic Times Issue 457 | Monday, May 18 2026

Dear readers,

Directed by the Central Commission for Policy and Strategic, the 6th Vietnam Connect Forum (2026), organized on May 13 by the Vietnam Economic Association and Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy in collaboration with the Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, and with the theme “Building Integrated Partnerships Between Foreign-Invested and Domestic Economic Sectors for Breakthrough Growth in the New Era”, truly acted as a “bridge” linking Vietnam’s two most important economic sectors.

Through five previous editions, from 2021 to 2025, the Vietnam Connect Forum has earned a reputation as a prestigious channel for policy exchange, with the participation of policymakers, regulatory agencies, associations, and the business community, including foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), along with economic experts.

The theme of the 6th edition stemmed from the reality that the level of connection between FIEs and domestic enterprises remains limited; the localization rate in many sectors where FIEs have invested in is still quite low; the number of Vietnamese enterprises deeply participating in the global value chain is not significant; technology transfer activities and spillover effects from the FDI sector to the domestic economic sector have not yet met expectations; and domestic enterprises still grapple with difficulties regarding technology, high-quality human resources, and management capacity of international standards; while FIEs mostly form relatively closed supply chains and heavily depend on external ecosystems.

With that in mind, this year’s Vietnam Connect Forum effectively responded to the need for links between FIEs and domestic enterprises - both State-owned and private - to cooperate with and support each other. In that spirit, the Forum focused on discussing two key issues: seeking solutions for investment inflows from new generation FIEs in sectors Vietnam has prioritized, and mechanisms for deeper links between FIEs and domestic enterprises, in order to enhance Vietnam’s position in the global value chain while creating synergistic strength to boost the country’s economic growth in its new phase of development.

Addressing the plenary session, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang underlined that Vietnam will prioritize improving the quality, spillover effects, and connectivity of FDI with the domestic economy, and that while the country consistently regards the foreign-invested sector as an integral part of the national economy, it will now adopt a more selective investment cooperation strategic focused on high technology, innovation, added value, efficient land use, environmental protection, and stronger links with local businesses.

FIEs were the main subjects of two consecutive events Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy held on the same day - the 6th Vietnam Connect Forum and the 25th Golden Dragon Awards. The latter, which took place immediately after the former, is a continuation of the story of domestic and foreign enterprises coming together to reach the common goal of a prosperous Vietnam, in which both are the most important driving forces.

At the Golden Dragon Awards ceremony, the Top 50 outstanding FIEs, selected by Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy, were announced amid a jubilant atmosphere kindled by the success of the 6th Vietnam Connect Forum, further inspiring FIEs and local enterprises to bond more closely on the path toward mutual development.

To further amplify the success of the 6th Vietnam Connect Forum and the 25th Golden Dragon Awards, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on issues discussed along with the achievements of this year’s Award winners.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

-Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy