FDI nears $60 billion in first ten months: ministry

The first ten months of 2008 saw the influx of about US$59.3 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country, the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment said.

The ministry said it licensed about 68 projects worth over $2 billion in October, raising the total number of FDI licensed projects from January-October to 953 with a total registered capital of $59.3 billion. The investors of 247 FDI projects in Vietnam increased their capital investment by $1 billion in total in the last ten months. Malaysia tops the FDI list among 44 foreign investors in Vietnam during the period with 40 licensed projects worth $14.9 billion, followed by Taiwan ($8.6 billion), Japan ($7.3 billion) and Brunei ($4.4 billion). Despite the domestic and global economic turmoil, FDI inflow into Vietnam could reach a record of $62 billion by the end of the year, economic experts said. Reported by Vinh Bao