Forty-seven outward investment projects have an accumulated loss of $1.048 billion, according to the government’s report on the financial situation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-invested enterprises, submitted to the National Assembly.

The total outward investment capital registered so far has reached $12.2 billion. The national oil and gas group PetroVietnam, the mililtary telco Viettel, and the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) are the biggest outward investors.

Outward investments, which fell for a short time because of Covid-19, resumed again after the social distancing policy ended.

Many Vietnamese are conducting business in Laos.

The losses incurred by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from outward investment projects in 2018 reached $367 million, a sharp increase of 265 percent compared with 2017, a report shows.

Experts warn that if state-owned enterprises (SOEs) make outward investments, the state would lose capital.

VietNamNet Bridge - More Vietnamese enterprises are buying overseas companies in an attempt to enter foreign markets.

Vietnamese firms should focus on environmental protection and corporate social responsibility when investing abroad to develop sustainably and promote the socio-economic development of their host countries, experts have urged.

More Vietnam’s commercial banks are entering regional markets. In the first 11 months of the year, Vietnamese enterprises registered $357.5 million worth of outward investment. Of this, $105.7 million was registered for banking projects. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Many commercial banks intend to open more branches and transaction points overseas, or allocate more capital to their overseas branches.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s leading banks Vietcombank, BIDV and VietinBank will have to list shares on overseas bourses under a plan for the next eight years.

VietNamNet Bridge - To maintain high growth after the domestic market becomes saturated, large corporations are eyeing foreign markets. 

VietNamNet Bridge - State-owned corporations have spent big money on outward investment projects, but have seen few profits.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese conglomerates have been expanding business by stepping up investments in neighboring markets. However, the path has not been a bed of roses.

VietNamNet Bridge – More and more wealthy Vietnamese businesspeople have been looking for investment opportunities overseas, but the results have been less than satisfactory.

The expensive offices for rent, the poor infrastructure and the cutthroat competition in Myanmar have all put big difficulties for the Vietnamese enterprises to squeeze into the Myanmar market.

While Vietnamese businesses have been flocking abroad to seek their investment opportunities, experts fear that the businesses are gambling with their investments.

A lot of Vietnamese businessmen now plan to march towards Myanmar, an emerging potential market.