FDI projects generate little added value

Sep 28th at 13:57
28-09-2015 13:57:44+07:00

FDI projects generate little added value

Though foreign direct investment (FDI) is undeniably a major driver for Vietnam’s economic growth, enterprises in the sector mainly make products under outsourcing contracts, thus creating little added value.

According to a report on Vietnam’s international integration results of the National Assembly Standing Committee’s supervision group, since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007, capital mobilization has kept rising and there has been a right shift in the investment structure, with a decline in State funding and a surge in private and FDI sector activities.

The FDI sector made up 21.7% of last year’s total investments, above 14.9% in 2005 and 16.2% in 2006, or one year before Vietnam became a WTO member.

The 2007-2009 period saw a boom in FDI. Registered FDI capital was US$21.35 billion in 2007, 1.78 times higher than in 2006, and US$71.7 billion in 2008, 3.36 times higher than in 2007.

However, FDI approvals fell in 2009-2011 due to the impact of the world’s economic downturn before bouncing back since 2012 with US$21.9 billion registered last year.

The industries with high pledged FDI by the end of last year were processing-manufacturing with US$141.4 billion and real estate with US$48.3 billion.

FDI disbursements were quite high between 2007 and 2014 with US$8.03 billion disbursed in 2007, US$11.5 billion in 2008, US$10 billion in 2009, US$11 billion in each of 2010 and 2011, US$10.05 billion in 2012, US$11.5 billion in 2013 and US$12.5 billion in 2014.

The FDI sector made up 24.3% of total development investments in the economy in 2007, 30.9% in 2008, 25.6% in 2009, 25.8% in 2010, 24.5% in 2011, 21.6% in 2012, 21.9% in 2013 and 21.7% last year. These percentages were higher than the average of 16% in 2001-2006.

Since 2007, the FDI sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP has soared thanks to its increasing exports. The sector was responsible for 17.66% of GDP in 2007, 18.68% in 2008, 18.33% in 2009, 17.69% in 2010, 18.05% in 2011, 18.09% in 2012, 19.55% in 2013 and 20.09% last year.

According to a report of the Government, from 2007 to last year, the FDI sector exported US$56.06 billion worth of goods a year, equivalent to 61% of the country’s total export value. Meanwhile, the respective figures in the 2001-2006 period were US$13.48 billion and 53.7%.

Last year, the combined export revenue of FDI enterprises reached US$93.96 billion, 62.5% of the nation’s total, and had a trade surplus of US$9.74 billion. Besides, the sector generated around two million direct jobs and millions of indirect jobs.

The sector accounted for 26.6% of Vietnam’s workforce, 19.1% of total capital for business and trade, 25% of net revenue and 42.4% of pre-tax profits in 2013.

However, the group said the quality of FDI is still a concern as most enterprises in the sector make products under outsourcing contracts with foreign partners and the sector’s contribution to improving technologies in Vietnam is insignificant.

As FDI companies play an important role in Vietnam’s economy, experts are concerned that their withdrawal of capital from Vietnam would affect economic growth.

At the 2015 Spring Economic Forum held last April, an expert of the Vietnam Institute of Economics said industrial growth of Bac Ninh Province dropped significantly last year (down 4.9%) when Samsung Vietnam changed its investment policy.

vietnamnet



NEWS SAME CATEGORY

Local firms must eye global rivals

While Vietnam has turned into one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, the level of competitiveness in the local private sector remains a concern and needs to...

VN agricultural exports fall

Export revenues of agricultural, forest and aquatic products totalled US$21.7 billion during the first nine months of this year, down five per cent over the same...

Vietnamese farmers suffer from price fall

Farmers in the Mekong Delta are "crying" because of the drop in prices for agricultural products such as rice, pitaya, and sweet potatoes. At the same time, shrimp...

Vietnam's trade deficit with China likely to reach $35bn in 2015: ministry

Vietnam’s trade deficit with China could be as high as US$35 billion in 2015, the Ministry of Industry and Trade warned.

PWC to advise on eGovernment Procurement Project

PricewaterhouseCoopers Viet Nam (PwC Viet Nam) Ltd. and Public Procurement Agency (PPA) on Thursday signed a contract on transaction advice for the eGovernment...

15 day visa waiver puzzles tourists

The Government's new visa exemption policy for travellers from five European countries could boost tourism better if it was for longer than 15 days, tour operators...

HCM City IPs attract 50% more FDI in first quarter

Industrial parks in HCM City attracted US$425 million in FDI in Q1, an increase of 50 per cent year-on-year, according to the latest report from Savills.

Vinalines begins construction of seaport in Hau Giang

The Viet Nam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), on September 25, kicked off construction on the first phase of the Vinalines Hau Giang seaport in the southern...

France’s AuchanSuper to open 15 stores in Ho Chi Minh City in 2016

While it currently runs only one outlet in Ho Chi Minh City, French supermarket chain operator AuchanSuper has plans to increase the number to 17 in 2016, a top...

Developer denies blame as Ho Chi Minh City condo hit by basement flood

The basement parking lot of an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City was flooded with rainwater following a heavy downpour last week, but neither of developer nor...


MOST READ


Back To Top