Vietnam is well-positioned to welcome and cooperate with semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) enterprises and investors from around the world, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung told a seminar held in Hanoi on October 1.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities have freshly assigned tasks of stimulating foreign investment attraction, with the municipal Department of Information and Communications asked to suggest measures drawing tech firms into local software and semiconductors sectors.

While the commercial 5G network is not yet operational in Vietnam, local tech firms are exporting their 5G technology to the world.

A bill has been introduced in the Philippines’ parliament, aiming at taxing big tech firms such as Facebook, Google and Youtube, Netflix and Spotify, to raise funds for the COVID-19 fight.

Vietnam has focused on the development of artificial intelligence (AI) – a spearhead projected to become the most breakthrough technology in the next 10 years.

Indonesia is preparing a bill that will make tech firms such as Google and Amazon pay value added tax (VAT), according to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

“Vietnam is shaping up to be Southeast Asia’s next hottest startup ecosystem” is the title of an article recently posted on the website of TechinAsia – the largest English-language technology media company in Singapore that focuses on Asia.

Most of the top tech firms in Vietnam performed well last year, with combined revenue reaching 374.4 trillion VND (16.7 billion USD) while employing around 93,000 workers in total.