Hanoi (VNA) – With extensive experience in managing financial hubs such as London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, and India, Standard Chartered is read༺y to support Vietnam to effectively develope and operate its international financial centres, said Group CEO Bill Winters.

The CEO made the commitment at his meeting with Vietnam’s Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang on April 3. Winters highlighted that Standard Chartered was among the first international banks to establish presence in Vietnam. The bank has significantly scaled up its investments in the country in recent years, a reflection of its strong confidence in and long-term commitment to Vietnam’s growth. He noted the bank’s active role in advising and supporting Vietnam in developing its national credit rating and expressed interest in continuing cooperation in this area. Standard Chartered has also been a global advocate for green and sustainable finance and believes its international expertise can help Vietnam attract more foreign investment while advancing its net-zero emissions target by 2050. The CEO commended Vietnam’s proactive efforts in building a conducive regulatory framework and deploying commercial mechanisms to draw investment into international financial centre projects in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. During the meeting, Minister Thang provided an update on Vietnam’s recent economic performance. He noted that the country’s macroeconomic conditions remained stable, inflation was under control, and trade volumes showed promising growth. He also reported that the monetary market remained steady, exchange rates were managed in line with market trends, and lending rates were on a downward. Thang reaffirmed Vietnam’s status as an attractive destination for foreign investors. In 2024 alone, Vietnam attracted nearly 38.23 billion USD in foreign investment, with disbursed capital hitting a record high of 25.35 billion USD, up 9.4% year-on-year. In the first two months of this year, foreign direct investment reached 4.33 billion USD, a 48.6% surge compared to the same period last year, with disbursements amounting to 1.26 billion USD, up 2%. Looking ahead, he emphasised Vietnam’s focus on high-tech industries, innovation, fintech, the digital economy, green growth, and sustainable development—all aligned with the country’s strategic vision for sustainable growth and climate resilience. The minister suggested Standard Chartered to strengthen its role as a bridge between Vietnam and international investors, particularly in these priority sectors, while working with the ministry to co-host forums and dialogues to address procedure challenges and investment concerns. Thang affirmed the ministry’s commitment to creating a favourable and transparent environment for foreign investors to thrive in Vietnam. He also expressed hope that Standard Chartered would mobilise greater foreign direct and indirect capital flows into the country and share best practices from other successful regional financial centres—especially in attracting global banks and financial institutions. He welcomed the bank’s support in connecting partners, investors, and financial experts to join Vietnam in building, operating, and developing its international financial centres. Minister Thang called on Standard Chartered to continue supporting Vietnam’s sovereign credit rating efforts, serving as a trusted advisor of the government, and helping to enhance institutional capacity through training programmes for ministry staff./.