Components for gas stoves are manufactured by workers of the Japan-invested Paloma Vietnam Co in Hai Phong City. — VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam

Foreign investors poured US$5.46 billion into Viet Nam in the first two months of this year, a year-on-year decrease of 15.6 per cent, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).

Up to 126 new projects were granted investment licences during the period, down 75 per cent year-on-year while the registered capital topped $3.31 billion, plunging 34 per cent compared to the same period last year which saw the $4 billion Bac Lieu LNG-to-power project from Singapore licensed.

However, if the project was excluded, total investment this month would be 83 per cent higher than last year, the FIA said.

It added 115 existing projects were allowed to add capital totaling $1.62 billion, representing a yearly slump of 24 per cent in the number of projects but 2.5 times higher in level of capital.

Meanwhile, capital contributions and shares purchased by foreign investors stood at over $543 million, down 34.4 per cent.

The resurgence of COVID-19 in many countries including Viet Nam has affected investors' travel as well as their decisions in making new investments and in project expansion. Therefore, the number of new projects, the level of capital added into operating projects and their capital contributions and share purchases in two months of 2021 both decreased over last year’s corresponding period, the FIA noted.

In a bright spot, however, FDI disbursement saw a slight increase of 2 per cent to an estimated $2.5 billion, it said, attributing this encouraging figure to business recovery of foreign companies and their efforts in ensuring production amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign investors pumped capital into 17 sectors in the period, with processing and manufacturing holding the lead at nearly $3 billion, representing 56 per cent of the total.

Electricity production and distribution ranked second with $1.44 billion or 26.5 per cent, followed by real estate and science and technology with $485 million and nearly $153 million, respectively.

Japan surpassed Singapore to become Viet Nam’s largest source of FDI with $1.64 billion, accounting for 30 per cent of the total. Singapore came next with $1.07 billion or 19.6 per cent while South Korea was third with $1.05 billion or 19.3 per cent, followed by mainland China, Hong Kong and the US.

As of February 20, the country is home to 33,215 valid foreign-invested projects, worth $388.8 billion. Over half of the total has been disbursed.