Vietnam drew nearly US$4.03 billion in newly-registered and additional capital from foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the first quarter of this year, up 119.1% against the same period last year.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, up to 473 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects valued at US$2.74 billion were licensed between January-March, a year-on-year rise of 125.2%.

Meanwhile, 203 operational FDI projects registered to increase their capital by US$1.285 billion, up 107% over the figure recorded in the corresponding time last year.

By March 20, 2016, FDI disbursement reached an estimated US$3.5 billion, up 14.8% year-on-year.

Foreign investors injected funds into 19 sectors, of which the processing and manufacturing industry is the most attractive with US$2.9 billion, making up 72.2% of the total FDI pledged in the country.

Real estate came in second, luring about US$240 million, equivalent to some 6% of the registered sum.

With one large-scale project valued at more than US$210 million, the entertainment sector ranked third in the list, representing 5.2 percent of the nation’s total FDI.

Among 40 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, the Republic of Korea took the lead with US$888.6 million from new and adjusted projects, making up 22 percent of the national figure.

Singapore and Taiwan (China) were in second and third places with US$554 million and US$465.6 million, respectively accounting for 13.7% and 11.5% of the total number.

The southern province of Dong Nai topped the country in attracting FDI in the reviewed time with 60 newly-licensed and adjusted projects worth US$585 million, making up 14.5% of Q1’s FDI.

It was followed by the northern province of Bac Ninh with US$398 million and the southern province of Binh Duong with US$371 million, respectively.

During the period, export turnover of the FDI sector edged up by 5.8%to more than US$27 billion, accounting for 71.3% of the national figure.

VNA