HCMC TO ESTABLISH CULTURAL INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT FUND
The HCMC People’s Committee has tasked relevant departments with establishing a cultural industry development fund and developing a 150-hectare film studio complex. The move follows an instruction by HCMC Party Committee Secretary Tran Luu Quang. The city’s cultural industry development fund will be structured under a venture capital model.
EMPLOYEES’ AVERAGE INCOME INCREASES
Average monthly income of workers in the first quarter reached VND9 million, up 3.8% from the previous quarter and 8.5% from a year earlier, according to the National Statistics Office. Male workers earned an average of VND10.1 million per month, compared with VND7.7 million for female workers. In urban areas, average income reached VND10.7 million per month, while in rural areas it was VND7.9 million.
VIETNAM’S Q1 FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS HIT RECORD HIGH
Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors in March, bringing first quarter foreign tourist arrivals to 6.76 million, up 12.4% year-on-year and marking a record high for the period, the national authority for tourism said. Air travel accounted for 82.3% of international arrivals, followed by land at 15.5% and sea at 2.2%, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
VIETNAM KEEPS GROWTH TARGET AT 10% OR HIGHER AMID GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES
Vietnam keeps its economic growth target unchanged at 10% or above despite rising global uncertainties and domestic challenges, according to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Chinh made the remarks while chairing the Government’s regular monthly meeting for March, held alongside an online conference with local authorities to review socio-economic performance in the first quarter of 2026 and outline priorities for the coming months.
VIETNAM’S GDP EXPANDS 7.83% IN Q1
Vietnam’s economy accelerated in the first quarter of 2026, with GDP expanding 7.83%. However, a return to a trade deficit of US$3.64 billion and a sharp rise in inflation in March signal renewed pressure on macroeconomic stability. Nguyen Thi Huong, head of the National Statistics Office, said in the first quarter socio-economic report that Vietnam’s GDP was estimated to expand 7.83% year-on-year in Q1 2026, higher than the roughly-7% growth recorded in the same period last year.
STATE BUDGET REVENUE TOPS VND829 TRILLION IN Q1
Vietnam’s state budget revenue in the first quarter of 2026 amounted to an estimated VND829 trillion, equivalent to 32.8% of the year’s target and up 11.4% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Finance. Domestic revenue continued to anchor state finances, totaling around VND740.7 trillion, up 12.5%. Net revenue from import and export activities, after value added tax refunds, was estimated at VND77.4 trillion, up 7.6%, while revenue from crude oil exports was around VND11.2 trillion, down 15.8%.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT FLOWS INTO HCMC SURGE IN Q1
HCMC attracted nearly US$2.9 billion in foreign investment in the first quarter of 2026, up about 220% year-on-year, despite global economic uncertainties, according to the city’s Department of Finance. This result indicates foreign investors’ continued confidence in the investment and business environment. Among the notable FDI projects in the period, Singaporean investors were present across key sectors such as technology, media, manufacturing, and financial services.
HCMC KICKS OFF OVER 10 PROJECTS DURING APRIL
Work will start on major projects in transportation, urban development and logistics sectors in HCMC this month, coinciding with Vietnam’s Reunification Day, April 30. They include the N3 ramp at the An Phu interchange with an investment of VND3.4 trillion and the 1.69-hectare Tan Chanh Hiep Park. In addition to these, seven other projects are slated to break ground within the month, including the Ho Tram – Long Thanh airport urban expressway, the Nha Rong – Khanh Hoi port area and the Ho Chi Minh Museum expansion.
