Hanoi (VNA) ౠ– To attract new investment inflows, especially foreign capital, Vietnam needs to have an appropriate and attractive investment policy and friendly business environment, said insiders.

Government officials, senior economists, representatives from international organisations and the business community discussed this issue at a foreign investment conference themed “Strong Investment Partnerships for a Thriving Vietnam” hosted by the Vietnam Investment Review (VIR) on May July 15. With open policies and a favourable, stable, and increasingly improved business climate, Vietnam is one of the leading countries and has obtained many major achievements in foreign investment attraction. According to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Do Thanh Trung, with the increasing project number and investment value, foreign-invested enterprises have become a dynamic sector and an important growth driver for the Vietnamese economy. Statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) show that as of the end of April, Vietnam had attracted nearly 446 billion USD in foreign investment, 280 billion USD of which was disbursed. Le Trong Minh, Editor-in-Chief of VIR, said the conference aims to provide a forum for domestic and international experts, managers and business leaders to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of foreign capital invested in Vietnam, achievements and lessons in attracting foreign investment. Philipp Munzinger, Director of the German Development Agency (GIZ)'s Energy Support Programme (ESP), said that Vietnam has impressed the international community with its rapid economic growth and the rapid expansion of renewable energy in the total energy structure, along with more energy efficiency measures. Vietnam should maintain momentum and push ahead with rapid energy transition in a fair and sustainable manner, he added. Furusawa Yasuyuki, executive officer board member of AEON Co., Ltd. in charge of Vietnam Business and general director of AEON Vietnam, the investment environment in Vietnam undergoes occasional changes, however there are still more opportunities and potential than challenges. According to Furusawa, with a rapidly growing population, especially the middle class, Vietnam boasts great potential for economic development, and its growth rate is much higher than that of other Asian countries, including Japan. Looking back over the past 11 years, AEON has achieved the expectations set for its initial development phase in Vietnam, he said, adding that Vietnam stands out as the country with the highest growth rate and immense potential for AEON to expand its investment. AEON has identified Vietnam as its second key market, besides Japan, to accelerate its investment activities, he stressed, expressing his hope that Vietnam will continue to reform and simplify investment procedures in the future. In recent times, rooftop solar energy has become one of the fields that attract the attention of investors worldwide. Bui Trung Kien, Vice Chairman of Copper Mountain Energy (CME) Company, said the Vietnamese Government should create more opportunities for investors in this field in Vietnam.   Kien recommended that the Government should implement supportive policies to promote research and development of projects and improve the quality of existing projects. He suggested enhancing collaboration between businesses and research organisations to develop new solutions that can improve efficiency and reduce investment costs in the solar energy sector. In addition, the Government should also promote legal regulations to protect the rights of investors while minimizing risks during their investment process, he added./.