Focus: Overcoming Invisible Constraints: “We need to remain steadfast in our goal of achieving 10% GDP growth in 2026. Only then can we maintain determination toward this objective, while staying proactive and flexible in seeking solutions when obstacles arise,” said Dang Thanh Tung, head of investment operations at Dragon Capital, in an interview with The Saigon Times.
Inside Vietnam
HCMC Needs Extra-Statutory Solutions: The Government believes that, for HCMC to maintain its role as the country’s growth engine and realize the goal of achieving double-digit growth as early as 2026, the city must be granted breakthrough, unprecedented mechanisms alongside sandboxes under Resolution 98/2023/QH15. These mechanisms would enable the city to seize investment opportunities, promptly remove bottlenecks, and unlock development resources.
Missing Blueprint For Climate Resilience: Climate change is exposing HCMC, the south-central provinces, and the Mekong Delta to increasingly severe risk scenarios. The Saigon Times spoke with architect Truong Nam Thuan, CEO of the investment consulting firm Thien Nam Anh, to shed light on existing strategic and legal gaps. Drawing on in-depth analyses of natural disaster response planning, Thuan proposed redefining HCMC’s role — from a purely economic hub to a “lifebuoy” for the entire southern region.
Woodwork Industry In Mekong Delta: The Mekong Delta has long been perceived solely as a land for cultivating paddy, fruit trees, fish and shrimp. This mindset, entrenched over many years, has become an invisible barrier, preventing the country’s most fertile region from being systematically integrated into national strategies for forestry and timber development.
Business
Dual Transformation Underscored: The 2025 Autumn Economic Forum has wrapped up in HCMC with a message hard to miss: the city is entering a pivotal new phase. Amid sweeping global shifts, dual transformation, and the rise of the smart economy, the southern metropolis is laying out its ambition to move beyond participation and assume a pioneering role.
Bracing For Tougher Times: The VN-Index is striving to reclaim the 1,700-point level after slipping below 1,600 and touching 1,580 in mid-October.
Living
Growing With Unseen Opportunities: Japanese designer Takayuki Sawamura first came to Vietnam in 1994, drifting through the country with nothing more than a backpack and an instinct for discovery. He expected a brief adventure; instead, he stumbled upon a landscape of possibilities that others had not yet noticed. What he saw— gaps in the market, room for creativity, and a city ready to evolve—pulled him back, and Vietnam gradually shifted from a stop on the map to the place he would build a life.
Reaching Communities Impacted By Floods: The Saigon Times Group has given 464 scholarships and essential supplies to students, teachers, and residents in a border commune of Quang Tri Province, as part of its ongoing relief efforts following recent storms and floods in the central region.
Travel
Trekking For Sunrise Above The Clouds: Mount Muoi, located along the border between Lai Chau and Lao Cai provinces, has become a popular trekking destination for travelers looking for sunrise views above the cloud layer.
Tasting Rope-Like Noodles In Doc Let: In Ninh Hoa Town, Khanh Hoa Province, bánh dây has been a part of community life for generations. However, as modern lifestyles evolve, only one household in Doc Let, a popular beach area in Ninh Hoa, continues to make the dish by hand: the family of Sau Phuong.
