“The Opportunity of a Thousand Years” and the “Ifs” of Investment Opportunities

"A thousand-year opportunity for Vietnam to enter the group of developed countries"; determination to "abandon the mindset of not being able to manage, then ban"; variables from the world economy" are notable keywords about Vietnam's economy in 2025.

“A thousand-year opportunity” and “the ifs” of investment and business opportunities in 2025

"A thousand-year opportunity for Vietnam to enter the group of developed countries"; determination to "abandon the mindset of not being able to manage, then ban"; variables from the world economy" are notable keywords about Vietnam's economy in 2025.

"Once in a lifetime opportunity"

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phu, Chairman of Sunhouse Group, called 2025 the starting year of a new economic cycle.

“Vietnam, like the world, has gone through a four-year pandemic. People are in a compressed state, eager to return. 2025 is an opportunity to start a new economic cycle,” Mr. Phu shared in the New Year Dialogue Program with Dau Tu Newspaper.

Vietnam is located in a very favorable geopolitical position to welcome capital flows.

Firstly, Vietnam is in a very favorable geopolitical position to receive capital flows due to the impact of the US-China trade war, both in terms of relocation costs and the ability to meet human resources.

Second, the wave of applying robots, automation, and AI to socio-economic activities has opened up huge opportunities for businesses to catch up with the digital transformation trend; but it is also the end for businesses that are outside this cycle.

Third and most importantly, according to Mr. Phu, are changes within the economy, especially the determination to remove institutions and policies.

“This is the biggest wish of businesses. Businesses do not need much material and financial support from the Government, but need mechanisms. For businesses, business opportunities are very important, but to turn an opportunity into money depends on time and speed.

Nowadays, the world moves very fast and competition is increasingly fierce. So when an opportunity appears, it must be implemented immediately. At this time, what businesses need most is speed and time.

“I hope that state management agencies, especially at the grassroots level, the level that directly solves problems for businesses, realize that we have this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, Vietnam will not be able to enter the group of developed countries,” Mr. Phu emphasized.

With this point of view, he said: "If we all have the same perception, let us compete, let us change, let us dare to eliminate cumbersome procedures, find every way for businesses to turn opportunities into money, into material wealth, then that wealth and material will create growth, from there return to serve the people..."

Variables from the world economy

FPT Corporation's General Director Nguyen Van Khoa predicts a world full of turmoil, perhaps even greater than 2023 and 2024 combined.

Technology, science, and artificial intelligence will open up great opportunities if Vietnamese businesses join an ecosystem...

In economic update reports from many international organizations, global trade is forecast to increase by 3.4% in 2025, higher than 3.1% in 2024 and 0.8% in 2023; inflation in 2025 is expected to be at 4.3% in 2025, significantly lower than 5.8% in 2024 and 6.7% in 2023. Green transformation, digital technology, and AI trends are increasing strongly...

However, geopolitical conflicts continue to be complex; strategic competition among major countries is increasing; fragmentation and trade protectionism are on the rise. Inflation and interest rates, although decreasing, remain high; public and private debt risks remain high.

In particular, the foreign and economic policies of the new US President Donald Trump are expected to have a huge impact on the global economy, including Vietnam. For example, changes in tariff policies and fiscal expansion will increase US and global inflation, causing the Fed and central banks of other countries to delay interest rate cuts. Inflationary pressure will increase, leading to interest rates, exchange rates and indirect investment capital shifts in emerging countries. Policies to increase trade protection, impose tariffs, investigate and sue for dumping... will also negatively impact global foreign trade...

“The world order has not been rearranged yet, but clusters have been formed, and a number of businesses have emerged to participate in chains, promoting socio-economic development. Technology has been and will be a strong development direction. Opportunities come not only for technology businesses, but technology, science, and artificial intelligence will open up great opportunities for Vietnam,” Mr. Khoa shared his perspective.

However, the second part of the opportunity, according to Mr. Khoa, is if businesses have to participate in an ecosystem, forming "national businesses" that can lead the economy instead of doing everything themselves, making other people's paintings or "the tied buffalo hates the eating buffalo".

Mr. Le Tri Thong, General Director of Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company (PNJ), said that with the economic recovery from the second quarter of 2024, difficulties will gradually recede, creating conditions for Vietnamese businesses to regain growth momentum and make breakthroughs.

However, this businessman also emphasized, “If the Trump administration increases import taxes to 60% as announced, the US purchasing power and inflation will not be affected immediately but may be within the next 2 years, that is, around the third quarter of 2026. And so, if a trade war occurs, in my opinion, Vietnamese businesses need to prepare a response scenario for the years 2026-2027.

In the short term, 2025, PNJ leaders believe that Vietnam will still benefit from the shift of production chains and FDI capital out of China. Accordingly, some sectors that can benefit from this wave include logistics, industrial parks, retail, etc., and especially the real estate industry with expectations from improved monetary policy, cash flow, and legal system.

The private economy is the main growth driver when accompanied by

Enterprises are the core that creates wealth and goods for society. If we nurture and support genuine enterprises, create all conditions for them to be able to compete with international enterprises and go international, increase the export proportion of domestic enterprises, the economy can completely achieve a growth rate of over 8% and higher.

There must be policies and mechanisms to support businesses that dare to do.

This is the opinion of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phu. This is the reason why he recommends that people as well as the government accompany businesses, creating an environment for Vietnamese businesses to develop as quickly as possible.

Along with that, he suggested that the Government create conditions and build mechanisms and policies with the principle that Vietnamese enterprises that are small or have no precedent to do so need to have policies and mechanisms to support enterprises that dare to do so that Vietnamese enterprises can have a firm foothold in large projects and symbolic works of the country's upcoming development stage.

Of course, the business itself also needs to change, to re-approach new management methods, business administration, construction and product quality management to approach international standards to penetrate the international market and meet the higher standards of domestic consumers.

“I want all mechanisms and policies to support Vietnamese enterprises, consider the assets of enterprises as the assets of the nation, and support those who dare to make breakthroughs and do new things that benefit society. Then the country will develop,” Mr. Phu recommended.

Sharing this view, Mr. Hieu suggested building a favorable business environment, with open procedures but taking into account the goal of allowing domestic enterprises to participate in large projects. Therefore, the business environment needs to be fair, not equal.

"Double-digit growth" and determination to "abandon the mindset of if you can't manage it, then ban it"

Mr. Phan Duc Hieu, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Economic Committee, chose the phrase "positive" to forecast Vietnam's economy in 2025, although difficulties and opportunities may be equal.

Efforts and determination to reform institutions have many new points that are very close to and related to the demands of reality and businesses.

I believe in domestic changes, especially changes with new thinking in institutional reform, creating a favorable business environment for investment, production and business activities. If we make drastic and timely domestic reforms, determined to achieve high growth, it will create new opportunities, besides promoting existing motivation", Mr. Hieu emphasized.

In particular, he emphasized new thinking and approaches in the determination to reform institutions as well as policy management.

“The Government and the Prime Minister do not even use “growth priority” anymore but instead use “acceleration, breakthrough”, showing a determination to act that, in my opinion, is much greater than the language we see in documents,” Mr. Hieu acknowledged.

In particular, he saw that the movement in thinking as well as the efforts and determination to reform institutions had many new points that were very close and linked to the demands of reality and businesses.

With the declaration of resolutely abandoning the mindset of banning if you can't manage it, the implementation will greatly reduce risks for businesses, increase peace of mind and trust in long-term investment activities. This declaration also shows that it not only removes difficulties and obstacles for projects, works, and production and business activities that are facing difficulties, but also promotes new investment projects, emphasizing more on promoting and encouraging innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

“I would like to add that all of the above are no longer guidelines in resolutions or documents but have taken concrete actions. For example, the special investment process - unprecedented, applying the principle of post-audit instead of pre-audit,” Mr. Hieu emphasized.

However, he also believes that if movements are more numerous, more synchronized, more substantial, and more determined, it will not only create new opportunities but also increase the ability of businesses to seize opportunities.

This is the basis for very high growth targets this year, at least 8%, and towards double-digit growth targets in 2025 and the following period.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung

“In the next 20 years, our country must grow at a high rate, striving for double-digit growth (10% or more) to realize the goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045. In particular, from now to 2030 is the most important period to establish a new world order, which is also an important strategic period, the sprint stage for Vietnam to achieve the set strategic goals,” Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said at the Conference to review the work of 2024 and deploy tasks for 2025 of the Planning and Investment sector.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/co-hoi-ngan-nam-va-nhung-chu-neu-cua-co-hoi-dau-tu---kinh-doanh-2025-d237534.html