1.
To this day, Kenneth M. Atkinson, Founder and Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors of Grant Thornton Vietnam, still remembers the first information he read in the Vietnam Investment Review in the early 1990s. At that time, he had just arrived in Vietnam, and official English-language sources of information were very limited. “The Vietnam Investment Review was one of the few stable sources of information that helped foreign investors understand Vietnam’s policies, FDI flows, and development direction,” Kenneth Atkinson recalled.
In the memory of someone who chose Vietnam as their homeland, and chose Pham Kien Son as their Vietnamese name on their citizen ID card, the process of Vietnam's transformation from a centrally planned, subsidized economy to a market economy, open to integration, with increasing participation from the private sector, foreign investment, and technology, is preserved through information and articles in Vietnam Investment Review. More importantly, he recalls, these publications conveyed government policies and reforms in a way that international investors could understand and use in their decision-making process.
At that time, Vietnam was just entering the early years of its Doi Moi (Renovation) process. The economy was beginning to open up, the Vietnamese Law on Foreign Investment had just been enacted, and the first flows of foreign capital began to find their way into Vietnam.
However, for investors located thousands of kilometers away from Vietnam, information about the Vietnamese economy is scarce, even difficult to understand. The questions they ask are not just about the opportunities Vietnam offers, but also about how Vietnam is changing, what the government intends to do, what the laws are, what makes the investment environment different, and especially, what convinces them to invest in this relatively new land.
“Investment/Vietnam Investment Review has played a crucial role in that process,” said Kenneth Atkinson.
2.
For those who signed the Business Cooperation Contract (BCC) that led to the creation of the two publications, "Vietnam Foreign Investment" and "Vietnam Investment Review," in 1991, it is quite possible that what exists today with "Investment/Vietnam Investment Review" is not entirely the same as their initial vision.
Professor Nguyen Mai, the first editor-in-chief of Investment Newspaper and the representative of Vietnam in negotiations with representatives of VIR Ltd., a company founded by a group of Australian journalists in Hong Kong, regarding the creation of the two publications, said that initially, the State Committee for Investment Cooperation (SCCI) wanted a newspaper to promote the image of Vietnam, its people, laws, policies, and investment environment to the world.
But along with the country's strong opening up and integration process, Vietnam Investment Review has gone further.
Dr. Nguyen Dinh Cung, former Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management Research, is one of those who have been with Investment Newspaper since its early years, both as an expert, contributor, and reader. He believes that the value of the publications over the past 35 years has been built on the steadfast commitment to conveying the voice of businesses and the economy, and the choice to serve the development of the country.
"This steadfastness is not easy, because reform and innovation have never been a smooth road, nor have they ever been a short one, especially when the demands of reality seem to have reached their limit, requiring a breakthrough to open up a new phase of development. Journalists need not only knowledge and responsibility but sometimes also courage to overcome these challenges," he said.
One could mention articles about businesses forced to halt operations because they failed to obtain the required 17 signatures from 17 members of the Provincial People's Committee for a land allocation document, despite prior agreement at a meeting; businesses that win abroad but struggle domestically due to cumbersome administrative procedures, complex and challenging business conditions, or distortions in the implementation of BOT projects and the corporate bond market… alongside continuous articles on efforts to improve competitiveness.
One could mention practical information about delays in disbursing public investment; difficulties in attracting foreign direct investment… alongside Vietnam’s increasingly improved rankings in innovation, creativity, green development, digital transformation…
News that Hoa Phat Group is producing steel for high-speed rail, FPT is training personnel for the semiconductor industry, and VinSpace has just announced a contract with SpaceX to launch satellites into orbit in Q2/2027… alongside the persistent fear of making mistakes and taking responsibility, many demands for change—both broad and deep—in thinking and policy-making methods, implementation methods, and even discipline, remain quite challenging…
"Reflecting a vibrant, professional, and multifaceted economic life, coupled with a mindset of collaborative construction and development, has created the identity and prestige of these publications," Mr. Cung affirmed.
3.
In the view of Mr. Tran Cong Thanh, General Director of Industrial Investment Solutions Co., Ltd., Vietnam Investment Review is not just an economic publication with official and reliable information sources. He mentioned "beneficial platforms" such as the annual Vietnam M&A Forum, the Industrial Real Estate Forum, etc., which he has participated in and been involved with for many years.
"Besides information in publications, forums and in-depth seminars are opportunities for businesses, investors, consulting firms, project owners, and management agencies to exchange views on the realities of the market," Mr. Thanh said, expressing his hope for a more effective reference and connection platform between policies, the market, and the investor community in the new context.
The Vietnamese economy is entering a new phase of development with very high goals: not only achieving double-digit GDP growth rates for many years, but also aiming for a development model that relies more heavily on science and technology , innovation, digital transformation, high-quality human resources, and productivity.
This signifies a major shift in how the economy operates. Questions about attracting capital are no longer just about how much to attract, but about what technology that capital brings, what added value it creates, and how it connects with Vietnamese businesses. The growth equation is no longer about how many percentage points are added, but about where that growth comes from, what productivity levels are used, and how long it can be sustained. A new policy needs to be known not only for its practical implementation but also for its actual impact on businesses and markets.
Many major changes have taken place, are taking place, and will continue to take place, demanding breakthrough thinking, creativity, and faster implementation speeds than at any stage of the 40 years of Renovation.
Perhaps this is also a new requirement for publications that have just passed the age of 35, as they develop and mature, but will also face even greater challenges.
However, Vietnam Investment Review's journey ahead is gaining more partners and companions who share its values.
Thirty-five years ago, Vietnam Investment Review was born alongside the first steps of an open economy. Thirty-five years later, together with other publications of the Finance and Investment Newspaper, including Vietnam Financial Times, Securities Investment, and Bidding, the development space is expanding, with a more diverse information ecosystem and more networking opportunities.
But more importantly, it's the investors' expectations that matter.
According to Sven David, CEO of Viet Transformation Advisors, the greatest value of economic journalism lies in its ability to connect the nation's development goals and aspirations with internal business decisions – from investment, productivity, management, technology, human resources to implementation capabilities.
“These are the factors that will determine the success or failure of the transformation process. Vietnam Investment Review is well-positioned to create those connections as Vietnam enters its next phase of development,” Sven David confidently stated.
Source: Vietnam.vn