The improved business performance of Vietnamese banks and a Government regulation to require local banks to meet stricter capital regulations as part of Basel II standards is spelling the start of a wave of foreign investment into the country’s finance and banking sector through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2019, experts said.

Shares advanced on Monday on the two national stock exchanges after a drop from the disappointed conclusion of the Trump-Kim Summit last week as investors poured money on heavyweight stocks.

HCM City has allowed the conversion of officetel projects into other purposes, except for residential purposes, to meet the city’s urban development demand, more than a year since it halted licensing new officetel projects.

Việt Nam’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in February fell for the third month in a row to 51.2, according to the latest reports from Nikkei and IHS Markit.

Samsung on Monday officially launched its first course in South Korea for Vietnamese support industry experts in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Five domestic airlines reported nearly 5,000 delayed or cancelled flights, accounting for 17 per cent of the total operated flights, in the first two months of the year.

Disbursement of public investment was low in the first two months of this year partly due to the impacts of the nine-day Tết holiday, according to a Ministry of Finance report.

Registration fees for pickup trucks and vans will be raised to 6 per cent of the vehicles value from the current rate of 2 per cent from April 10, according to a revised Government decree.

Despite likely hurdles, export of marine products is expected to rise by 17 per cent to US$3.5 billion this year, according to the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep).