CEO 500 opens up cooperation opportunities in FDI and technology

Nguyen Cong Vinh, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City's People's Committee, emphasized the city's keen interest in fostering dialogue with investors. Vinh highlighted that the city aimed to explore new opportunities and emerging requirements with investors, addressing specific development challenges while creating new drivers of growth. Ho Chi Minh City is entering a new phase of development, with its economic, urban, and connectivity spaces expanding, providing ample room for large-scale projects.

The city is prioritizing high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI) in finance, technology, digital transformation, sustainable development, and innovation. The city aims to attract $19 billion in foreign investment by 2026. Through the CEO 500 programme, Ho Chi Minh City intends to gather insights from leaders of corporations, businesses, and international investors on global capital, technology, and financial flows, as well as factors influencing investment location decisions.

Vinh stressed that Ho Chi Minh City is ready to receive specific proposals from the business community and collaborate with investors to resolve emerging issues, assigning clear responsibilities, designating focal points, and defining timelines. He invited the global business community to view Ho Chi Minh City from a new perspective, emphasizing that the city offers access to the Vietnamese market, connections with manufacturing, logistics, financial, and technology hubs, and expansion into a broader economic space.

IMF resident representative for Vietnam and Laos, Fazurin Jamaludin, discussed the country's ability to navigate future challenges. He noted that countries' preparedness will determine their capacity to benefit from the AI boom, with Vietnam positioned in the lower part of the assessment. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals, including maintaining price stability and preserving fiscal space, are crucial for sustainable investment flows.

Addressing structural challenges, such as labour market policies and social protection systems, is essential as AI transforms the labour market. Regional cooperation, particularly in energy security and services trade, is another priority to strengthen resilience and support economic growth.