Doing Business in Vietnam

Over the last thirty years, Vietnam evolved from "war after war" to an emerging economy with an attractive foreign investment policy and commitment to a liberalized economy. Although the GDP per capita is still considerably lower than in the Asian Tiger economies, and the institutional framework still reflects inheritances from the central plan system, Vietnam today has a vibrant economy with small businesses springing up at every street corner. Foreign investors have been flogging to Vietnam since the early 1990s, with a new peak of FDI inflow in 2004. This paper reviews the Vietnamese economy, society, culture, and policies towards foreign investment to inform those considering to invest in Vietnam, and to provide some practical advice