Numerous favorable conditions have come together to make Viet Nam an attractive investment destination in the ASEAN, Asia and the world.

Its strategic geographic location, the free trade agreements it has entered into and improvements in the investment environment all make Viet Nam a prime target for a new wave of investments from the United Kingdom, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said at a meeting with the British Business Group Vietnam (BBGV) and the British Accreditation Council (BAC) on Thursday.

Investments in infrastructure and human resources training also contribute to Viet Nam’s attractiveness, he said.

At the meeting, Dung highly appreciated the potential and capacity of UK businesses and expressed a desire to promote investment cooperation with British investors.

In terms of opportunities awaiting investors, UK businesses can fully participate in infrastructure investments through the public-private-partnership (PPP) model or indirect investments through merger and acquisition (M&A) activities, especially in the context of equitisation and divestment of State-owned enterprises, as they have strengths in infrastructure development, banking and finance, and management technology in many areas, the minister added.

He expressed hope that UK investors will not miss this opportunity, especially with the anticipated passing by the National Assembly of the Law on Special Administrative-Economic Zones, which is the basis for the establishment of three special zones featuring many institutions and preferential policies by the end of this year.

Businesses and financial institutions from the UK can participate as major investors or strategic investors in these special administrative-economic zones, Dung said, adding that potential investors can take advantage of this new game with very competitive rules to join with the Government of Viet Nam in creating and organising the playground in these special zones. — VNS