Local currency (LCY) government bond yields in Vietnam trended lower between June 1 and August 15, leading the entire yield curve to shift downward, according to the latest issue of the ADB’s Asia Bond Monitor.

ADB representatives at the report launch on Wednesday. The bank retained its growth forecasts for Viet Nam at 6.8 per cent in 2019 and 6.7 per cent in 2020.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised down its forecast on economic growth in Southeast Asia to 4.5 percent compared with a previous forecast of 4.8 percent and from last year's 5.1 percent pace.

Vietnam’s average disbursement rate is much lower than that of other recipients of the Asian Development Bank’s ODA loans, largely due to cumbersome and time-consuming procedures, said Eric Sidgwick, ADB country director for Vietnam.

Vietnam’s local currency (LCY) bond market reached a size of VND1,193 trillion (US$51 billion) at the end of March, up a marginal 0.7% quarter-on-quarter, a reversal from the 5% quarter-on-quarter contraction in the last quarter of 2018.

 The ADB and the WB have decided to use the Vietnam National E-Procurement System to implement online bidding for bidding packages that are widely competitive in the field of construction and goods.

ADB (Asian Development Bank) has predicted a 6.8 percent GDP growth rate for Vietnam in 2018, a figure which is much higher than the average growth rate in the region.

VietNamNet Bridge - The proposed Long Thanh Airport as well as many other huge infrastructure projects are attracting many Chinese investors.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam needs to draw up a long-term plan to stop receiving ODA within 15-20 years, experts say. As of June this year, it is no longer receiving preferential loans from WB.

VietNamNet Bridge - GDP is usually considered an important factor that shows the health of the economy in Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge - Statistics show that Vietnam is among Asia’s biggest spenders on infrastructure. 

Although the offered low-cost loans from AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) are very attractive, economists say Vietnam needs to think carefully before borrowing money.

VietNamNet Bridge - While Vietnam has seen a ‘whirlwind’ of goods from ASEAN countries and China, Vietnamese enterprises still have not found effective solutions to conquer the vast ASEAN market of 1.9 billion consumers.

VietNamNet Bridge - Waterway transport has not been fully exploited, even though Vietnam has 3,200 kilometers of coastline, 6,500 kilometers of river, 126 river ports, and 2,300 passenger and 4,800 cargo loading berths. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Relending ODA (official development assistance) capital instead of allocating capital is one of the methods Vietnam could use the capital source more effectively as ODA for Vietnam will be cut in the near future.

 Vietnam’s economy is forecast to continue bouncing back thanks to rises in foreign investment, consumer confidence, and credit growth.

 The Asian Development Bank has lowered its growth forecasts for Asia's developing economies on the back of slowing growth in both China and India.

 VietNamNet Bridge - HCM City will have 12 sewage treatment plants by 2020, up from its current two. The city wants to borrow nearly $900 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to build four more plants.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has successfully concluded his Indonesia visit to attend the 24th World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia on April 20-21 at the invitation of WEF President Klaus Schwab.

The Vietnamese Government and the ADB have signed two loan agreements totalling nearly 234 million USD to support reforms to strengthen the country’s competiveness and to help deliver a sustainable urban transport system in Hanoi.