The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai has worked hard to improve its investment environment and competitiveness in a bid to attract more domestic and foreign investors.
Gia Lai has implemented a socio-economic development cooperation programme with Ho Chi Minh City to optimise their potential and support legal corridors for a healthier investment environment for common growth.
After 15 years of cooperation, 26 enterprises of Ho Chi Minh City have invested in 27 projects worth over VND6.3 trillion (US$269.6 million) in Gia Lai, while Gia Lai businesses have run 22 projects in Ho Chi Minh City with total investment of VND30 trillion (US$1.28 billion).
Alongside, Gia Lai is hosting four foreign-invested projects and many other projects funded by investors both in and outside the province.
As part of its efforts to support enterprises, Gia Lai has made its administrative procedures more open and transparent through the launching of a public administrative centre.
In 2017, Gia Lai leaped three positions in the provincial competitiveness index (PCI) compared to 2016, ranking 43rd out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide, and 3rd in the Central Highlands region.
Nguyen Truong Hung, director of the ACOM Gia Lai coffee processing factory under the Atlantic Vietnam Company - one of the four foreign-invested projects in Gia Lai with an investment of US$2 million and export revenue of over US$50 million, said that after six years of operation, the plant has enjoyed many preferential policies, including land rent exemption in 10 years and tax reduction.
Hung expressed his hope that with the support from the province, the firm will expand its business in the coming time.
So far this year, Gia Lai has attracted 11 projects with total investment of VND500 billion (US$21.4 million), raising the total projects accommodated by the province so far to 80. Of the total projects, 46 have become operational with total export revenue of nearly US$220 million.
Pham Van Binh, head of the Gia Lai Economic Zone Management Board, said that the province has focused on reforming its administrative procedures towards one-stop-shop services.
Meanwhile, investors will receive specific guidelines during their investment process and assistance in removing obstacles.
Binh said that Gia Lai is currently building a project to construct the Southern Pleiku Industrial Park, which is scheduled to be approved by the Prime Minister in November, giving more spaces to host investors.
The ACV said on July 20 that contractors are deploying additional workers and equipment to speed up construction under Component Project 3, which covers the airport's essential aviation infrastructure. Major facilities, including the first and second runways, taxiways, aircraft aprons, the passenger terminal apron and the aircraft fuel supply system, are approaching completion.
The Department of Customs requested regional customs sub-departments to provide maximum facilitation and ensure same-day customs clearance for exported agricultural, forestry and fishery products, including outside regular working hours.
Vietnam and Laos have agreed to step up cooperation in finance, agriculture, natural resources and environmental management, with a focus on sustainable agricultural development, forest protection and green energy.
According to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, GDP expanded by 8.39% in the second quarter, up from 8.14% a year earlier. Growth for the first six months reached 8.18%, exceeding the 7.63% recorded in the same period of 2025. The performance reflected broad-based contributions from both the supply and demand sides of the economy.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance reported that the manufacturing and processing sector remained the principal driver of economic growth, accounting for 33.07% of the economy's total value-added growth during the first six months of the year.
EuroCham's latest survey shows European business confidence rebounding to its highest level in nearly seven years, driven by stronger demand despite global uncertainty.
The Government's inflation target remains within reach despite mounting headwinds. Several forecasts suggest inflation can stay below 4.5% this year if international oil prices continue to retreat. Extending domestic fuel tax incentives through year-end, along with stable electricity prices, healthcare fees and exchange rates, would offer additional relief.
According to a recent report by BIDV Securities (BSC), these projects span residential and urban developments, airports, expressways, high-speed rail, industrial facilities and other strategic infrastructure.
Around the world, investors are increasingly choosing locations based not only on costs and logistics, but also on renewable energy, carbon performance, circular economy solutions and ESG standards, experts said.
Developed under a strategic cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese and Japanese governments, the nearly 1,000-hectare industrial park is expected to become the city's first eco-industrial park under the country's new regulatory framework.
A key target is that by 2030, all concentrated agricultural, forestry and fisheries production areas will have access to essential services, including product traceability, quarantine, testing, quality certification, processing and market development. The move reflects growing international demand for stricter food safety, quality and traceability standards, which have become increasingly important for agricultural exports.
Despite the encouraging performance, Vietnam's exports remain heavily dependent on a limited number of major markets and product groups, while the domestic value added of many export products remains relatively low because of their reliance on imported raw materials and components.
The debut affirms the city’s push to overhaul investment promotion towards a more modern, transparent and technology-led model that uses digital tools and artificial intelligence to deliver sharper support for investors.
Demand for Korean food in Vietnam has continued to grow rapidly alongside the popularity of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu, making the country a strategic market in the RoK's plan to expand agricultural and food exports to ASEAN, the RoK's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said.
Authorities detected and handled 67,937 violations in the first half of the year, up 36.66% year-on-year. Budget revenue from enforcement reached nearly 9.65 trillion VND (nearly 367 million USD), an increase of 49.36%, while investigation was launched into 1,676 criminal cases involving 2,789 suspects.
The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 25,202 VND/USD on July 6, down 1 VND from the last working day of the previous week.
Participation in the Montreal Declaration also provides a foundation for Vietnam to explore deeper engagement with the IEA's multilateral energy efficiency initiatives, offering opportunities to access data, policy experience, technical tools and public-private partnership models in energy conservation.
Releasing the country's socio-economic data for the second quarter and the first half of the year on July 3, NSO Director Nguyen Thi Huong said Vietnam sustained positive growth across most industries and sectors despite a challenging international economic environment.
According to the Department of Finance, as of May 31, the city had nearly 21,000 active FDI projects worth over 143.3 billion USD, remaining Vietnam’s leading FDI destination. In the first half of 2026, FDI reached over 6.8 billion USD.
Experts agreed that integrating nutrient management, biotechnology, mechanisation and digital technologies will enhance productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition towards greener, more sustainable rice production.