The Ministry of Planning and Investment will submit a scheme on informal economic statistics to the Prime Minister for approval this year.

The central coastal province of Phú Yên plans to grant licences to projects worth nearly VNĐ12.4 trillion (US$558 million) in total at an investment promotion conference on January 19.

The central province of Bình Thuận, which has more than 9,500 ha of dragon fruit cultivated under VietGAP (Vietnam Good Agricultural Practices) standards, plans to expand the area to 9,800ha this year, according to the province’s Agriculture and Rural Development department.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA), Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, has highlighted the need to promote the independence of the State Audit Office of Việt Nam (SAV) and its auditors, aiming to ensure the transparency of its operations

The Ministry of Finance has proposed the Government raise the individual income tax imposed on capital/securities transfer to 2 per cent for trades not registered to the Vietnam Securities Depository and not made on the securities market.

The Việt Nam Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) earned a total profit of VNĐ9.2 trillion (US$404 million) in 2017, equivalent to 105 per cent of its annual target.

The southeastern province of Đồng Nai achieved a record trade surplus of US$2.17 billion last year, with the highest recorded in the country, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

HCM City’s industrial production was forecast to maintain steady growth in 2018 with the industrial production index (IIP) to rise about 8- 8.5 per cent against last year, according to HCM City’s Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT).

Việt Nam has become an ideal location to start a business, not only for young overseas Vietnamese people to come back, but also for expats thanks to the country’s strong economic growth in recent years.