Ho Chi Minh City reaffirms US$19 billion foreign investment goal
Officials sought investor feedback at CEO 500, while an IMF representative urged Vietnam to strengthen economic resilience and improve data.
Ho Chi Minh City remains committed to drawing US$19 billion in foreign investment in 2026, municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Cong Vinh told participants at the CEO 500 dialogue. He invited businesses to put forward proposals and discuss obstacles to investing.
Vinh said the city wanted investors’ views on international flows of finance and technology, and on what determines where companies invest. Officials would use that feedback to examine the city’s competitiveness and identify weaknesses requiring attention.
Priority areas for high-quality foreign direct investment include finance and technology, he said, alongside digital transformation, innovation, sustainable development and the green economy. Vinh said the city was willing to address business concerns by specifying who would handle them and setting deadlines.
Fazurin Jamaludin, the IMF resident representative covering Vietnam and Laos, told the programme that lasting investment depended on robust economic fundamentals. He called for inflation control, room in government finances to respond to shocks, and workforce skills suited to changes driven by artificial intelligence.
Jamaludin also urged Vietnam to update its frameworks for monetary and fiscal policy and close gaps in economic statistics. More comprehensive data would enable investors to judge Vietnam’s outlook more accurately, he said. The CEO 500 programme is part of the Autumn Economic Forum 2026.
