New-generation FDI attraction for 2018-2030 will focus on education and healthcare, the sectors making the most added value, in addition to financial services, metal forging & chemistry, hi-tech equipment, logistics, and pharmaceutical.

Vietnam has so far achieved remarkable outcomes in FDI attraction. FDI capital has increased by nearly 1,000 per cent over the last ten years. FDI value per capita has exceeded China, India, and all big ASEAN countries, excluding Malaysia.

FDI capital in 2017 has nearly doubled in comparison to 2014.

However, processing and manufacturing projects, which create low added value, wages, and weak spillover effects, have been dominating the FDI scene with huge total investment value.

As a result, the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) has just announced the draft of the new-generation FDI attraction orientation and strategy for 2018-2030, when Vietnam cannot actively promote investment in all sectors at the same time, so Vietnam needs to select priority sectors and concentrate resources in order to gain preferable outcomes as well as protect the environment, save energy, and strengthen linkages with domestic firms.

Thereby, the new-generation FDI attraction strategy will focus on the sectors which bring the most added value, use new technology, promote R&D activities, and create strong spillover effects. These will support domestic firms to join global value chains, as well as act as catalysts to create a new generation of successful domestic firms.

Priority FDI sectors are combined with others that make the most added value for connected investment promotion activities. Of these, education and healthcare bring the most added value, and pharmaceutical and hi-tech equipment, health products, OEM automobiles, and transport are the sectors with the highest potential.

The FIA's strategy identified the 17 sectors that gain the most added value and will see investment promotion activities.

In order to attract FDI to these sectors, Vietnam needs to build incentives which are more interesting than in surrounding countries. According to a research of the World Bank, Vietnam is already applying the duty-free regime. However, investors in Vietnam could enjoy only 2-4 years of duty-free operations, lower than the regional average of 8-10 years, but they would receive 50 per cent tariff reductions in the next 4-9 years.

On the other hand, Vietnam’s preferential taxes by each sector are better than the average of the East Asia-Pacific region and investors in the country can enjoy various incentives at the same time, according to FIA's report.

Sectors to see investment promotion

Sectors making the most added value

The combinations of sectors that need to be promoted and bring the most added value

Environmental technology

OEM Automobiles & Transport

Metal forging & chemistry

Industrial machines

Pharmaceutical & health products

Automobile parts

Hi-tech products

Hi-tech equipment

Financial services

Education & Health

IT services

KPO

Logistics &MRO

High-value agriculture

High-value tourism

Financial services

IT services

KPO

Education & Health

Metal forging & chemistry

Industrial machines

Hi-tech equipment

OEM Automobiles & Transport

Pharmaceutical & health products

Environmental technology

Logistics & MRO

Mining

High-value tourism

Textile

Education & Health

Financial services

Metal forging & chemistry

Hi-tech equipment

OEM automobiles & transport

Logistics & MRO

Pharmaceutical & Health products

Automobiles parts

Industrial machines

Mining

Environmental technology

IT services

KPO

Construction materials

High-value tourism

High-value agriculture

Textile

(Note: OEM: Original equipment manufacturer; KPO: Knowledge process outsourcing; MRO: Maintenance, repair, and overhaul)

VIR