Current Status of FDI in Vietnam's Service Sector


Infrastructure for service industry development is still weak such as underdeveloped transportation system, inappropriate quality and cost of using communication, water supply system facing many difficulties, entertainment system, school system not meeting people's needs.

2. Current status of FDI in Vietnam's service sector

In the 20 years since the renovation, Vietnam has had certain achievements in attracting FDI to develop the service industry. These achievements are the result of continuous efforts over a long period of time.

Our country has had many policies and created favorable conditions for the development of service business activities since the implementation of the Foreign Investment Law (1987). Thanks to that, the service sector has had positive changes to better meet the needs of production, consumption and people's lives, contributing to accelerating economic growth. Some service sectors (post and telecommunications, finance, banking, insurance, air transport, sea transport, tourism, real estate business) have grown rapidly, attracting many workers and promoting exports. Along with implementing the roadmap for service trade commitments in the WTO, Vietnam continues to promote attracting foreign investment, developing service sectors directly serving production and export.

2.1. Investment capital scale

During the period 1988-2007, investment capital in the service sector increased sharply. Within 20 years, there were 1,936 service projects in Vietnam, with a total investment capital of more than 29 billion USD and implemented capital of nearly 8 billion USD.

In 2007, FDI in Vietnam's service industry was 1,544 projects with a total investment capital of 8 billion USD and implemented investment capital of 2.5 billion (equal to 25% of the total investment capital and implemented capital of the 20 years combined). Leading in terms of investment scale in Vietnam's tourism is the Dan Kia-Suoi Vang multi-purpose resort project in Da Lat city, Lam Dong, invested by four major Japanese investment groups: Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Limtec in a joint venture with a capital of up to 1.2 billion USD. A 5-star hotel-apartment-commercial center complex with an investment capital of 200 million USD in Ho Chi Minh City by the Kumho Asiana Group of Korea.


Quoc, the investor, has also started construction after a long pause due to the financial crisis. Winvest LLC (USA) has also received an investment license for the 5-star Saigon Atlantic tourist area in Vung Tau with an investment capital of 300 million USD. Also in Vung Tau, the Platinum Dragon Empire Group is surveying to invest in an entertainment and tourism project with a capital of up to 550 million USD. In addition to foreign corporations investing directly, the wave of indirect investment in this field is equally exciting. Two months ago, VinaCapital Fund bought 52.5% of the shares of the 5-star Hilton Hanoi Hotel, bringing the Fund's total shares in this hotel to 70%. Previously, VinaLand Fund also bought 70% of the shares of Sofitel Metropole, the oldest, most luxurious and most popular hotel in Hanoi today.

Several large corporations are planning to invest in Vietnam. First of all, the world's largest hotel management group, InterContinential Hotels Groups, has announced that it will build its first hotel in Vietnam in early 2009. A Macau casino management company has considered partnering with Saigontourist to open a "mini Las Vegas" in Ho Chi Minh City.

Rockingham Company (UK) has also submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Investment a project to build a marine tourism area with a scale of up to 1 billion USD in Phu Quoc.

2.2 Investment structure

2.2.1 By investment sector

Table 9: Structure of investment capital in Vietnam's service sector by industry in the period 1988-2007

Unit: USD


STT

Service

Project Number

Investment capital

Charter capital

Realized capital

1

GTVT-Electric Bus

211

4,323,882,565

2,781,446,590

721,767,814

2

Hotel-Tourism

227

6,135,310,332

2,569,935,362

2,401,036,832

3

Finance-Banking

67

915,827,080

850,404,447

714,870,077

4

Culture-Health-Education

272

1,249,195,062

573,586,594

367,037,058

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Current Status of FDI in Vietnams Service Sector


5

New Urban Area Construction

9

3,477,764,672

944,920,500

111,294,598

6

Office-Apartment Construction

154

9,418,878,164

3,468,469,591

1,892,234,162

7

Infrastructure construction of industrial parks and export processing zones

30

1,517,546,201

516,523,597

576,117,330

8

Other services

966

2,155,006,145

947,877,283

383,082,159

(Source: Foreign Investment Agency - Ministry of Planning and Investment)

In the trend of foreign investment capital pouring into Vietnam, the capital flow is shifting strongly into the service sector, accounting for 47.7% of the total registered capital of the whole country in 2007, mainly focusing on real estate business, including: construction of apartments, offices, development of new urban areas, business of industrial park infrastructure (42% of total foreign investment capital in the service sector), tourism-hotels (24%), transportation-postal (18%).

2.2.2 By investor country


Table 10: Structure of FDI in Vietnam's service sector by investor country in the period 1988-2007

Unit: VND


STT

Country, territory

Project Number

Investment capital

Charter capital

Realized capital

1

Korea

1857

14,398,138,655

5,168,461,054

2,738,114,393

2

Singapore

549

11,058,802,313

3,894,467,177

3,858,078,376

3

Taiwan

1801

10,763,147,783

4,598,733,632

3,079,209,610

4

Japan

934

9,179,715,704

3,963,292,649

4,987,063,346

5

BritishVirginIslands

342

7,794,876,348

2,612,088,725

1,375,722,679

6

Hong Kong

457

5,933,188,334

2,166,936,512

2,161,176,270

7

Malaysia

245

2,823,171,518

1,797,165,234

1,083,158,348

8

USA

376

2,788,623,488

1,449,742,606

746,009,069

9

Netherlands

86

2,598,537,747

1,482,216,843

2,031,314,551

10

France

196

2,376,366,335

1,441,010,694

1,085,203,846


via :

(Source: Foreign Investment Agency - Ministry of Planning and Investment)

Current status of FDI in some service sectors of Vietnam in recent times


2.2.2.1. Post and telecommunications

By the end of this month, there were 5 business cooperation contracts for the construction and exploitation of international telecommunications networks, local telecommunications and other fields of postal and telecommunications services in the postal and telecommunications sector that had been licensed with a total registered investment capital of approximately 916.6 million USD. The implemented investment projects have built a rapidly developing postal and telecommunications network in recent times. From a network with high technology quality, small scale, and average complexity of operations and management, it has now achieved many encouraging results. The international telecommunications network has been built in a modern manner, reaching a technological level equivalent to that of countries in the region, with terrestrial satellite stations and gateway switchboards in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City with a continuous fiber optic cable network directly connecting to all countries in the world. The international military cable line has been operating well.

Many important projects such as satellite communication systems, transnational submarine fiber optic cable systems, and a number of staff systematically trained in technology and business management to facilitate international integration have been given attention. The addition of foreign FDI capital is the result of long-term and effective cooperation between the two parties participating in the project and has contributed significantly to foreign currency earnings. The ability to communicate instantly with the world through direct dialing services, private leased lines, television, data transmission and other services has contributed to the increase in international trade services, providing and updating information on economics, politics, society and culture and education.

2.2.2.2 Culture - Health - Education

By the end of 2007, the Health - Culture - Education sector had nearly 200 licensed projects with a total registered capital of over 800 million USD, of which 330.2 million USD had been implemented, accounting for 41.25% of the total registered capital. This rate is relatively low compared to other sectors such as finance and banking, and infrastructure construction.


industry. The major projects of interest are investment projects in hospitals and education. In this field, the main form of investment is joint venture.

2.2.2.3. Office - Apartment - Commercial center

In this field, the number of licensed projects still in effect is 101 projects with a total registered capital of 3,465.5 million USD, legal capital of 1,203.7 million USD. Compared to business projects in the hotel sector, business projects in the office and apartment sectors currently face less difficulties.

Due to many difficulties in business, many enterprises have requested to add more business objectives with the desire to enrich their revenue sources and minimize difficulties. Usually, they request to add supermarket business functions, entertainment services, request to be licensed to sell houses to foreigners or request to build houses (for enterprises currently selling houses). A few enterprises request to switch to a 100% foreign-owned business form. In addition, many enterprises request to extend the time to compensate for losses in the first year, leading to the situation where many small-capital projects request to extend the duration to 40 or 50 years.

2.2.2.4. Hotel and tourism business

After several years of research and exploration, large companies from many different countries have boldly invested in large-scale projects. At the same time, from small-scale projects with low investment capital, mainly aimed at renovating and upgrading existing hotels and restaurants in the early years, in recent years, projects have focused on building new ones with hundreds of rooms, meeting 4-5 star international standards, with tens of millions of USD in investment capital.

In 2007, 47 FDI projects were licensed in the tourism sector with a registered capital of up to 1.86 billion USD, 3 times higher than in 2006 and equal to the capital of 7-8 years ago combined. Of these, the most notable is the project of Banyan Tree Group (Singapore) which is completing investment procedures to build an eco-tourism area in May-Lang Co Economic Zone (Thua Thien Hue) with an investment capital of nearly 1 billion USD. In addition, it is necessary to mention 3 resorts under the Ana Mandara brand in Nha Trang and Da Lat made by Six Senes Group (Thailand).


The investor, explaining this project, Thailand said that currently Vietnam's tourism development is not much, currently only using 10% of the sea area, many provinces have beautiful beaches but have not been exploited.

Thus, Vietnam's potential for hotel and tourism development is huge, and the opportunity to attract FDI capital into this sector is now in sight.


2.2.2.5. Banking and finance

FDI in the banking and finance sector mainly operates in the fields of auditing, insurance and financial consulting. This sector has really played an effective role in training a team of senior Vietnamese experts in the field of auditing and the competitive insurance market in Vietnam. Currently, there are reputable companies in the field of finance, banking and insurance investing in Vietnam such as Earns & Young, KPMG, Deloitte auditing, AIA insurance, Daihichi insurance, HSBC bank. The main form of investment in this sector is joint venture. Since April 1, 2007, 100% foreign-owned banks have officially operated in Vietnam, the stock market has developed, the demand for auditing has increased, the Vietnamese insurance market has begun to flourish, so it can be said that in the coming time, investment opportunities for this sector are very large.

However, investment capital in banking and finance is not high and it is necessary to attract more FDI to develop the capital market and banking in Vietnam.

2.2.2.6. Construction of infrastructure for industrial parks and export processing zones.

Some FDI projects in the construction of infrastructure for industrial parks and export processing zones have been licensed and have completed or basically completed the infrastructure such as Tan Thuan, Linh Trung, Nomura, Amata, Bien Hoa II, Vietnam-Singapore, Thang Long EPZs with full infrastructure items, while some industrial parks are in the process of construction and completion.

The common benefits of building industrial parks and export processing zones are to improve the investment environment, reduce investment costs, including reducing land rental prices to attract and quickly fill industrial parks and export processing zones, supplement investment capital for society, and create jobs for workers. At the same time, the construction of industrial parks and export processing zones has contributed to


attracting many FDI projects there. Investment projects in industrial parks and export processing zones are mainly industrial production with a high export rate, contributing significantly to the transformation of economic structure, promoting industrial production and export. A highlight is that industrial parks and export processing zones contribute to the improvement of labor quality and are the core of the urbanization process and service development.

2.2.3. By locality

Table 11: Structure of FDI capital in Vietnam's service sector by investment location in the period 1988-2007

(Unit: USD)


STT

Local

Project Number

Investment capital

Charter capital

Realized capital

1

Ho Chi Minh City

2399

17,013,524,750

7,100,900,289

6,347,487,062

2

Hanoi

1011

12,664,570,044

5,661,169,078

3,589,621,920

3

Dong Nai

917

11,665,711,568

4,655,087,285

4,152,591,894

4

Binh Duong

1581

8,516,393,283

3,452,028,952

2,078,979,706

5

Ba Ria-Vung Tau

159

6,111,349,896

2,397,533,861

1,267,669,334

6

Hai Phong

270

2,729,564,057

1,148,295,920

1,273,511,670

7

Vinh Phuc

151

2,034,201,656

647,926,192

438,759,582

8

Phu Yen

38

1,945,576,438

619,858,655

122,827,280

9

Long An

188

1,865,839,159

681,249,868

423,043,982

(Source: Foreign Investment Agency - Ministry of Planning and Investment)

The localities attracting the most investment capital in the service sector are still Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Dong Nai, Binh Duong. It can be seen that, in services as well as other sectors, the localities attracting the most FDI capital are those with comparative advantages, technical infrastructure, mostly large cities. This shows the imbalance in attracting FDI. Especially for services, this is even more obvious because only places with high living standards can services develop strongly.

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