Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s steady transition to aliberalised economy is the subject of a wide-ranging analysis in a new reportby the global research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG).

“The Report: Vietnam 2017”, launched by OBG in Hanoi on April 25, charts thecountry’s growth over the past three decades, which has seen its share of worldtrade increase five-fold since the year 2000 and FDI levels rise to account forapproximately 70 percent of exports.

OBG’s report looks in detail at the opportunities that stronger in-countryvalue chains and new trade deals are expected to produce, most notably anagreement with the EU, which will become effective in 2018.

In a year when Vietnam is hosting the 25th APEC summit, the publicationalso considers the country’s growing regional role, including its preparationsfor integration into the ASEAN Economic Community.

The Report: Vietnam 2017 shines a spotlight on the sectors of the economythat are leading growth, including the manufacturing industry, which isbenefiting from ongoing liberalisation efforts, foreign interest and growingdomestic consumer base. There is also coverage of Vietnam’s record-breakingtourism industry buoyed by interest in the country’s cultural, historic, naturaland culinary attractions.

Michael Benson-Colpi, OBG Chairman, said at the launch that Vietnam hadundoubtedly emerged as a leading investment destination in Southeast Asia,edging out other emerging markets around the globe.

“With trade liberalisation and policy reforms now paying off, Oxford BusinessGroup’s subscribers from across a broad reach of destinations, includingLondon, New York, Bangkok and Jakarta, have shown themselves keen to learn moreabout the latest developments in this dynamic market,” Benson-Colpi said.

“We are delighted that after more than a year of research on the ground andhundreds of interviews, we are now able to share our definite 212 page guide toVietnam’s economic landscape with you all,” he added.

Attending the launch, Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs VuQuang Minh said The Report: Vietnam 2017 would serve not only asa reliable tool for foreign investors and businesses interested in doingbusiness in Vietnam, but also as an insightful and objective review forVietnamese businessman and policy makers.

The report contains contributions by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and formerUS President Barack Obama, together with a detailed, sector-by-sector guide forinvestors. It also features a wide range of interviews with other high-profilepersonalities, including Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of ForeignAffairs; Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment; Dinh Tien Dung, Ministerof Finance; Cecilia Malmstrom, European Commissioner for Trade; and ASEAN Secretary-General LeLuong Minh.

At the launch event, participants took part in a panel debate on “Improving thecorporate environment to secure Vietnam’s global competitiveness”. Speakers’discussion topics included the current business and investment environment inVietnam, the country’s capital market development, the prospect of labour forcedevelopment and the most attractive sectors in the view of investors.

Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global research and consultancy firm, whichpublishes economic intelligence on the markets of Asia, the Middle East,Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.-VNA