VietNamNet Bridge – Since the start of June, the Vietnamese dong has been falling against the US dollar after a long time of stability.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam - Nguyen Van Binh, has attributed the dollar price increases recently to the banks’ “unfair play.”

The pressure on the banking system has been eased once the bad debts are on the decrease. However, bankers themselves admitted that their worries still have not been lifted.

VietNamNet Bridge – Some economists say commercial banks now make “super profit” when keeping the input and output interest rate margin at six percent. Meanwhile, banks have denied this.

The Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC), a powerful legal entity established to restructure the bad debts, would issue bonds to deal with the debts.

Commercial banks have been told by the State Bank to lower the deposit interest rate to 7.5 percent per annum. However, if they do, they would not be able to attract deposits.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The State Bank Governor issued a decision regulating gold bar trading procedures on Monday to prepare for the commodity's first official auction.

Commercial banks have continued to pump capital into key sectors in an attempt to stimulate the economy, but they have also limited the provision of credit to real estate and securities areas,

Government bonds have been selling well since the beginning of the year. This remains a favorite investment channel for big institutions and foreign investors in 2013.

The government would have to come forward to make payment for the debts incurred by state owned enterprises (SOEs), which would be a threat to the national economy.

TrustBank has “opened fire,” kicking start a new merger and acquisition (M&A) wave in 2013. What are the next?

Issuing local authorities bonds proves to be the only solution for localities now to cover the local budget deficit. However, this may be a big threat, according to experts.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The 2013 outlook for Viet Nam's banking and finance sector remains "mixed" since the pace of planned reforms remains slow, according to a new report.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The State Securities Commission (SSC) is considering a pilot project allowing foreigners to raise their stakes in listed companies, a policy shift that has drawn varied reactions from market insiders.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, on Dec 18, advised HCM City to restructure the real estate sector towards removing weak and ineffective players and providing housing to meet real demand.

In recent years, commercial banks, especially non-State-owned commercial joint-stock banks, have been recruiting foreigners to work in senior positions as divisional heads, advisers and most recently, chief executive officer (CEO).

More than 10 commercial banks have submitted applications to the State Bank of Vietnam, seeking the permission to trade bullion gold. This is really a lucrative business field, in their eyes.

It is highly possible that the State Bank would slash the deposit interest rate further--by one percent, to make it easier for businesses to access bank loans. However, economists have warned that this would do more harm than good.

The volume of bonds bought by commercial banks since early the fourth quarter of the year has been increasing sharply. Banks, which now do not worry about the liquidity, have gathered up their money to buy government bonds.

Commercial banks all keep pessimistic about the business result this year, when the credit flow gets stuck and the bad debts increase rapidly.