More than 2,200 projects with a total capital of 6 million billion VND are stalled.

On September 26, at the third Vietnam Economic Forum - 2025 held with the theme "What is the driving force for GDP growth of 8.3 - 8.5%?" organized by Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, Professor, Dr. Hoang Van Cuong - Member of the Prime Minister's Policy Advisory Council - affirmed: "Public investment is the seed capital, creating confidence to attract private investment, thereby forming a stronger growth driver".

Professor, Dr. Hoang Van Cuong - Member of the Prime Minister 's Policy Advisory Council - spoke at the forum

However, according to Mr. Cuong, there are currently about 2,200 public and private investment projects with a total capital of more than 6 million billion VND that are still stuck due to legal and infrastructure problems. Mr. Cuong believes that if this huge capital flow can be cleared, the economy will have more immediate resources to accelerate.

One of the big expectations is the highway infrastructure. If completed on schedule, the highway and seaport system will create a strong spillover effect, turning Vietnam into a regional logistics center. “However, disbursement must be selective, if it is massive, it can cause inflationary pressure,” Mr. Cuong warned.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Director of the Institute of Economic and Financial Strategy and Policy, Ministry of Finance - analyzed that monetary policy has a quick impact on credit and consumption, while fiscal policy has a long lag but spreads deeply to production and investment.

“To achieve growth of 8.3 - 8.5%, it is necessary to have strict budget discipline, conditional spending and flexible coordination with monetary policy. This is the pillar to help maintain macroeconomic stability and control inflation,” Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Ho Chi Minh City develops transport infrastructure projects (in the photo is the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien Metro line - photo: Duy Anh)

Dr. Can Van Luc - Chief Economist of BIDV - said that in the context of fierce global competition, Vietnam cannot rely solely on traditional investment capital. Digital transformation and application of science and technology must be strongly promoted to improve productivity. At the same time, green growth and climate change adaptation are mandatory requirements.

Mr. Luc also noted that economic locomotives such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang need to grow 1.2-1.3 times higher than the national average to lead. Along with that, supporting industries need to be promoted to help domestic enterprises stand firmer in the global value chain.

Although assessing the target of 8.3 - 8.5% as feasible, Mr. Luc recommended preparing a lower scenario, around 8%. “To achieve that, both consumption and investment must be strongly stimulated. New drivers such as the digital economy and improved labor productivity will be the key,” Mr. Luc said.

Dr. Tran Du Lich believes that, in the current context, the most important thing is to build trust for the market and for businesses. As the Party, State and Government have repeatedly emphasized, to unblock the flow of the economy, it is necessary to remove institutional bottlenecks - "remove the bottleneck of bottlenecks".

Although there have been a series of important resolutions, to put them into practice requires a very high level of political determination, such as successfully implementing the two-tier government model. Resolutions such as Resolution 68 on private economic development, or Resolution 57 on science and technology, are only truly valuable when they are effectively implemented, creating concrete changes.

“I think the Government's promotion of transport infrastructure projects is of key importance, because infrastructure not only reduces logistics costs but also enhances business competitiveness, creating a foundation for long-term development,” said Mr. Lich.