VietNamNet Bridge - The hotel market has been growing quickly, with the number of projects developed by foreign investors and managed by foreign brands increasing from 30 in 2010 to 79 by the end of 2017.

River-based tourism products in HCM City have fallen short of expectations due to a lack of investment in infrastructure, experts have said.

Attracting $31 billion worth of FDI (foreign direct investment), Binh Duong Province is the workplace for thousands of foreign specialists. However, their homes are not in Binh Duong, but in HCM City.

HCMC residents were reassured that they would not see floods again after multi-billion dong anti-flood works became operational. But floods have become even more serious.

More than 10 years ago, HCMC began applying a series of measures to fight against floods and improve the environment, worth trillions of dong. 

According to the HCMC Fisheries Sub-department, 16.25 million ornamental fish were exported in the first 10 months of 2017, an increase of 14.5 percent compared with the same period last year.

The HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment plans to raise the environmental protection fee on industrial waste, but some experts disagree about the plan.  

The eastern part of the city will still be hot in 2018, while infrastructure works in the western part will attract house and apartment buyers, analysts say.

Demand for offices is forecast to increase sharply in 2018 thanks to the improved economy, while the number of co-working spaces will also expand proportionally. 

Discussing urban development programming in HCMC, economist Tran Du Lich commented that the ‘living within one’s means’ principle must not be applied to the city’s infrastructure development. If so, residents will pay a heavy price in the future.

VietNamNet Bridge - The solar panel market has warmed up with foreign and domestic investors showing renewed interest in the market.

HCM City agencies have unveiled plans to promote waterway transport on the 975km of riverways in the city, according to the city’s Department of Transport.

Hanoi seems to be moving ahead of HCMC in restricting private cars to enter the inner city. Though it is considered a ‘negative’ solution, it is still the only choice of local authorities in the two largest cities in Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge - As the land fund in HCMC has declined, fewer investors are interested in developing infrastructure projects under the BT (build-transfer) mode.

Of $6.19 worth of capital that foreign investors used to contribute capital and buy into Vietnamese enterprises in 2017, 60 percent was injected into M&A deals in HCMC.

A credit-based education program will be applied at secondary and high schools in HCMC on a trial basis from the 2019-2020 academic year, if the city’s proposals on an open policy for education receives approval.

The Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) predicted stable development for the city real estate sector and claimed that there would not be a real estate bubble in 2018.

VietNamNet Bridge - Hotels not only have to compete in the food & beverage sector, a major source of revenue, but also in the restaurant chain and food court market.

More than 40 investors have expressed willingness to develop plants which burn waste to generate electricity.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam is considered the second biggest potential market in Southeast Asia for solar power.