HCMC CREDIT UP 1.5% IN Q1

A bank teller checks Vietnamese banknotes - PHOTO: THANH HOA

HCMC – Total outstanding credit in HCMC increased 1.5% in the first quarter of 2026 from the end of last year, according to the central bank.

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Outstanding loans in the city reached an estimated VND5.28 quadrillion, up 0.77% from the previous month and 16.25% year-on-year, data from the State Bank of Vietnam’s Regional Branch 2 showed.

Vietnam dong loans accounted for 96.1% of total credit and rose 1.46% from the end of 2025. Medium- and long-term lending made up 55% of total outstanding loans and increased 3.22%.

The central bank branch noted that banks continued to direct credit to production and business activities to support economic growth.

Total deposits at credit institutions were estimated at nearly VND5.27 quadrillion, up 0.46% from the previous month and 0.1% from the end of last year. Deposits rose 13.92% compared with a year earlier.

Savings deposits grew 3.08% from end-2025. Savings and payment deposits accounted for nearly 90% of total mobilized funds.

Lending to priority sectors expanded. Outstanding loans reached VND576 trillion for agriculture and rural development, VND157 trillion for exports, and VND1.22 quadrillion for small and medium-sized enterprises. Loans to supporting industries totaled VND64.5 trillion, while lending to high-tech firms reached VND3.1 trillion.

Under a credit program for social housing and old apartment redevelopment, 16 projects in the city have been approved. Of these, four projects and five borrowers have received disbursements. Banks also extended loans to three projects and seven borrowers outside the city under the same program.

Loans to firms in export processing and industrial zones totaled VND305 trillion, up 3.24% from the end of 2025.

In 2026, 19 commercial banks registered to join a bank–business connectivity program, with total pledged credit exceeding VND591 trillion, up 14.44% from the previous year.

The central bank branch called on lenders to prioritize credit for production and key sectors, while tightening control over lending to riskier areas. It also urged banks to keep interest rates stable and disclose lending rates and preferential programs.

Source: The Saigon Times