Ho Chi Minh City Unveils 9.5 Billion USD Infrastructure Push for National Day

Ho Chi Minh City is bringing culture closer to everyday life by transforming public spaces, heritage and the arts into engines of creativity, community engagement and sustainable development. From August 15 to September 15, 2026, Sun PhuQuoc Airways passengers flying from Hanoi or Hai Phong to Ho Chi Minh City who purchase the Van Son Peak – Hang Pagoda Cable Car Combo at Sun World Ba Den Mountain will receive an exclusive promotional package valued at 600,000 VND. The gift includes a Silver WOW Pass and a Van Son Buffet ticket, each valued at 300,000 VND. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the southern metropolis will start 11 projects and put five works into operation in transport, technical infrastructure, housing, civil construction and industry, with total investment exceeding 249.4 trillion VND (9.5 billion USD). As Vietnam continues to expand its investment pipeline, diversifying funding sources will become increasingly important. Turning capital into viable projects will depend not only on market demand, but also on project quality, investment structures and execution capabilities. For businesses, every unit of energy saved helps lower production costs and improve operational efficiency. At the economy-wide level, efficient energy use reduces pressure on the supply system and the need for new investment. Hanoisme proposed support programmes for green transition, intellectual property, traceability and cross-border e-commerce, as well as credit packages specifically for exporters. Airlines face a market in which fuel and foreign-exchange volatility, high fleet costs and constrained aircraft supply are increasingly shaping competition alongside passenger growth and market share. Following last year's provincial mergers, Lam dong has become Vietnam’s largest province by area, opening up significant development potential across industry, agriculture, tourism, services and the marine economy. Held both in person and online, the seminar focused on the current status and opportunities for Vietnam’s nuclear power programme, human resources development, global trends in small modular reactors (SMRs), experience in ensuring safety and extending the operational life of nuclear power plants, and ways to mobilise Vietnamese experts abroad to contribute to the programme. The strong performance followed a series of measures to optimise port capacity and improve the competitiveness of the city’s seaport system, with a focus on maximising the efficiency of the Lach Huyen international gateway port as new berths came into operation. Vietnam’s rice export value for the full year is forecast at around 3.94 billion USD, about 4% lower than in 2025. While work has progressed, several projects still face delays in site clearance and shortages of construction materials. Some projects due to be completed in 2026 also have a substantial volume of work remaining. The visit opened initial channels for cooperation between Phu Tho and Belgian partners, with the province hoping to translate these contacts into practical projects in high-tech agriculture, culture, heritage tourism and investment. Products made by Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives, including those certified under the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme, are emerging as popular online offerings. Through the German–Vietnam Hub, Leipzig plans to build a concentrated business advisory system to facilitate economic cooperation, investment, and knowledge transfer between the two countries. The city also aims to reinforce its position as a venue for promoting cultural exchange and dialogue with Vietnam. As countries tighten rules on crypto assets and investors increasingly favor assets with clear legal backing, Vietnam’s approach is opening a new funding channel while strengthening investor protection. The Argentine digital newspaper Infobae published an article titled “Mercosur and Vietnam began negotiations with a view to a trade agreement,” emphasising that the negotiating delegations from both sides held their first in-person meeting in Buenos Aires with the objective of advancing toward a tariff preference agreement. The strategic partnership signing ceremony took place as part of the Kreatorverse Summit 2026, held at Sun Signature Gallery, Phu Quoc’s premier convention venue, welcoming 150 international KOLs and influencers. An annual gathering of Klook’s global community of leading content creators, this year’s summit places Vietnam in the spotlight, with Da Nang and Phu Quoc selected as two strategic destinations for the program. A number of major infrastructure, housing and industrial projects were launched or put into operation in cities and provinces across Vietnam on August 29, as part of activities marking the 81st National Day (September 2). During the session, both sides reaffirmed their determination to advance the negotiations in a spirit of goodwill, with a view to reaching a balanced agreement that aligns with the interests of both Vietnam and Mercosur. In 2025, two-way trade reached approximately 380 million USD, up around 25% from 2024. In the first six months of 2026, bilateral trade continued its positive momentum, rising 26%. Vietnam consistently regards the US as one of its leading strategic partners and wishes to work with the US to maintain stable, substantive and effective development of the comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of the two peoples, while contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world. Vietnam is committed to maintaining dialogue with investors, listening to their recommendations and working to address difficulties on the basis of harmonising interests and sharing risks. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.