Singapore's Makara Capital Partners urged to invest in Vietnam’s priority sectors
Vietnam guarantees the legitimate rights and interests of investors based on three principles: codifying regulations into law, aligning with market mechanisms, and harmonising regulations with international standards, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) and Ali Ijaz Ahmad, Chairman and CEO of Makara Capital Partners, at the meeting in Hanoi on July 2 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)👍 – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked Makara Capital Partners to promptly make investment decisions and expand operations in Vietnam, particularly in priority sectors, in the spirit of “working together, benefiting together, winning together, and sharing joy and happiness.”
He made the request at a reception in Hanoi on July 2 for Chairman and CEO Ali Ijaz Ahmad and other senior executives of the Singapore-based group, who are exploring investment opportunities in Vietnam.
Chinh reiterated the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to accompanying and facilitating effective and successful investments by the group in the country. He affirmed that Vietnam guarantees the legitimate rights and interests of investors based on three principles: codifying regulations into law, aligning with market mechanisms, and harmonising regulations with international standards.
Makara Capital’s leaders said the group is a major player in Singapore, operating in fund and asset management, investment, financial structuring, and advisory services. They emphasised that the company has thoroughly studied the Vietnamese market and strongly believes in the country’s strategic development direction, long-term vision, and growth aspirations.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) receives Makara Capital Partners Chairman and CEO Ali Ijaz Ahmad in Hanoi on July 2. (Photo: VNA)
The group is actively promoting an investment project to develop a biopharmaceutical industrial park in Hung Yen province. In addition, it is engaging with relevant Vietnamese agencies and localities to collaborate on energy and infrastructure projects, support bank restructuring efforts, and participate in the development of an international financial centre in Vietnam. These initiatives could mobilise an estimated total investment of between 5 and 7 billion USD.
PM Chinh welcomed Makara Capital’s interest and affirmed that the sectors the group is targeting such as biopharmaceuticals and international financial centre development align with Vietnam’s priorities for fast, green, and sustainable development.
He briefed the guests on Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategy, foreign and national defence policies. He noted that Vietnam is pursuing three strategic breakthroughs namely institutional reform, infrastructure development, and human resource training.
At the same time, the country is undergoing a "revolution" in administrative structure, organising the two-tier local administration model, and implementing four key resolutions for rapid and sustainable growth, he added.
Vietnam is targeting a GDP growth of at least 8% this year and double-digit expansion in subsequent years, striving to become a high-income developed nation by 2045./.
Khanh Hoa leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to further improving the local investment climate by streamlining administrative procedures, reducing licensing times, increasing transparency, and providing the best possible conditions for businesses and investors.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in Hanoi on January 15 for Ali Ijaz Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore-based Makara Capital, urging the group to support Vietnam in developing international financial centres.
Under a draft to amend and supplement the Government's Decree 125/2020/ND-CP on administrative sanctions for violations of tax and invoice regulations, the Ministry of Finance has proposed classifying the failure to issue invoices into five different levels. Infraction levels will correspond to fines of 1 million VND to 80 million VND, depending on the nature and number of invoicing violations.
A new airline developed and invested by Sun Group — has officially announced a strategic partnership with Amadeus IT Group (Amadeus), one of the world’s leading travel technology companies. This agreement not only lays the foundation for a modern digital infrastructure but also marks a pivotal step in SPA’s global expansion strategy, enabling the airline to access international distribution networks and reach customers worldwide.
Of the total, 107,700 were new firms, with combined registered capital of 928.4 trillion VND (35.4 billion USD), up 10.6% in number and 5.5% in capital compared with the same period last year.
Experts agree that a combination of technology, enforcement, education and cross-border cooperation is essential to protect copyrighted content in Vietnam’s growing digital ecosystem.
Poland is Vietnam’s largest export market in Central and Eastern Europe, with key staples including seafood, textiles, footwear, coffee, and cashew nuts.
Cashless payments are growing at an impressive rate, averaging 30–40% annually. Vietnam’s per capita cashless transaction volume now trails only China, with total value of 295.2 quadrillion VND (11.26 trillion USD), or 26 times of its GDP.
A draft resolution on piloting a digital asset and cryptocurrency market is being developed, aiming to create a broad-enough regulatory sandbox that enables investor participation and provides practical grounds for policy refinement in areas such as risk management and anti-money laundering.
Viettel was ranked third for overall mobile performance with a score of 82.56 just behind UEA’s e& (88.05) and Quatar’s Ooredoo (87.05) and ahead of Singapore’s Singtel (82.53). Vinaphone took second in 5G speed with a score of 78.11, trailing only behind e&.
PM Chinh proposed MUFG work closely with the Ministry of Finance to improve legal frameworks and support the establishment and operation of the international financial centre in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.
The Prime Minister emphasised the significance of maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, promoting growth, and improving the harmony between monetary and fiscal policies.
Petrovietnam will step up the development of new products and the expansion of international markets to reduce reliance on the domestic market. It also plans to optimise capital use, manage cash flow and costs, streamline operations, and enhance workforce quality to achieve its 2025 goals.
Vietnam has so far attracted 43,346 valid FDI projects with a total registered capital of 517.14 billion USD. The accumulated disbursed capital is estimated at nearly 331.46 billion USD, accounting for 64.6% of the total registered capital.
More than a product showcase, Vietfood & Beverage – Propack Vietnam 2025 is designed as a comprehensive ecosystem where businesses, experts, and consumers can share knowledge, explore technologies, and connect for collaboration.
Both sides expressed their hope that the outcomes of the discussion will continue to improve the efficiency of customs clearance activities at the customs clearance points and dedicated transport routes of the Huu Nghi – Youyi Guan international border gate pair.
The maximum retail price of E5 RON92 petrol has increased by 207 VND to 19,608 VND (0.75 USD) per litre while that of RON95-III rose by 234 VND to 20,074 VND per litre.
