The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has issued guidance to commercial banks on lending for a number of major projects proposed by Vingroup, Masterise Airport Infrastructure JSC and Sun Group, providing special treatment for certain credit indicators tied to the projects.

According to the central bank, the three companies had proposed excluding outstanding loans related to several strategic projects from the calculation of key banking ratios. These include annual credit growth targets, the ratio of short-term funding used for medium- and long-term lending, and lending limits applicable to a single borrower or related group of borrowers.

The projects covered by the proposal include infrastructure serving APEC events, public-private partnership (PPP) developments, high-speed railway projects on the Ben Thanh - Can Gio and Hanoi - Quang Ninh routes, as well as projects linked to Gia Binh International Airport.

The SBV noted that these are large-scale, nationally significant projects with the potential to strengthen regional connectivity and support economic development in line with government priorities.

On that basis, the central bank has encouraged both project developers and commercial banks to proactively engage with one another and make lending decisions in accordance with existing regulations.

A key feature of the mechanism is that newly generated lending related to these projects may be excluded when calculating a bank's annual credit growth. The exemption applies to new loans extended each year to customers implementing the approved projects.

The SBV has instructed banks to monitor project-related lending balances and report them in accordance with regulatory requirements. At the same time, the total amount of credit extended to project investors, contractors and suppliers must not exceed the total borrowing requirement of each project as previously reported.

Commercial lenders are also required to ensure that project developers closely manage their financing needs and provide confirmation that borrowed funds are being used for their intended purposes.

Regarding the ratio of short-term capital used for medium- and long-term lending, the SBV said it had already issued Circular No. 25/2026/TT-NHNN amending Circular No. 22/2019/TT-NHNN, and requested banks to comply with the updated regulations.

On lending limits for a single customer or related customer groups, the central bank acknowledged that funding requirements for the projects are substantial. It therefore encouraged banks to participate in syndicated loans.

In cases where an individual bank's lending exposure exceeds regulatory limits, the institution may report the matter to the SBV for submission to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision under existing legal authority.

The central bank stressed that commercial banks remain responsible for independently assessing project feasibility, operational efficiency and borrowers' repayment capacity before making lending decisions. Banks must also ensure compliance with prudential standards and relevant regulations.

The latest guidance follows an earlier move by the SBV at the end of May, when it informed 25 commercial banks of measures designed to facilitate lending for social housing and industrial park developments.

Under that policy, from January 1 to December 31, 2026, additional lending for social housing and industrial parks compared with end-2025 levels will not be counted as real estate credit when monitoring growth in property-related lending.

The measure was introduced to support lending for sectors aligned with government policies on real estate development and broader socio-economic growth.

Tuan Nguyen