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The Government's public investment plan for 2026 totals VNĐ1.08 quadrillion, the largest on record and about VNĐ175 trillion higher than the 2025 plan, the ministry said.

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s public investment disbursement reached VNĐ219.4 trillion (US$8.4 billion) in the first five months of 2026, equal to 21.6 per cent of the annual target set by Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

Of the total, VNĐ70.6 trillion came from the central government budget, achieving 19.4 per cent of the target while local government budgets contributed VNĐ148.7 trillion, equivalent to 22.9 per cent of their plan, the ministry said.

The Government’s public investment plan for 2026 totals VNĐ1.08 quadrillion, the largest on record and about VNĐ175 trillion higher than the 2025 plan, the ministry said.

More than VNĐ1 quadrillion has been allocated to ministries, government agencies and local authorities, leaving around VNĐ79.7 trillion, or 7.4 per cent of the National Assembly-approved plan, still unassigned.

By the end of May, ministries, agencies and localities had allocated more than VNĐ1 trillion to specific projects and tasks. Excluding additional funding from local budgets, detailed allocations reached VNĐ990.7 trillion, equivalent to 97.8 per cent of the amount assigned by the Prime Minister.

Unallocated capital stood at VNĐ22.7 trillion, or 2.2 per cent of the assigned plan, across 12 ministries, central agencies and 12 localities.

The ministry said delays were mainly caused by incomplete investment procedures and proposals to reallocate funds from projects with limited demand to those requiring additional capital.

The ministry identified shortages of construction materials as a major obstacle to faster disbursement, as demand has risen sharply alongside efforts to accelerate public investment projects.

It also cited higher material prices, which have exceeded approved budgets and required contract adjustments, as well as delays in land clearance linked to disputes over land ownership, compensation rates and resettlement plans.

In addition, many project owners were still completing design work, cost estimates, approvals and contractor selection in the early months of the year, limiting the volume of work eligible for payment.

The ministry said weaknesses in project preparation and planning had also contributed to delays, with some projects requiring revisions or capital reallocations.

It added that the capacity of some project management boards, investors and contractors remained limited, while some local administrations lacked dedicated public investment personnel.

To accelerate disbursement, the ministry urged ministries, agencies and local governments to speed up land clearance, ensure adequate supplies of construction materials and strengthen oversight of material prices.

It also called for stricter enforcement of administrative discipline, including penalties for officials and organisations that delay projects, and urged local authorities to ensure sufficient staffing for project management, particularly in remote and disadvantaged areas.

The ministry further instructed agencies to fully update public investment disbursement data on its digital monitoring system to support performance tracking and evaluation.

Despite a modest share of 1.3%, the travel and tourism industry reached an estimated VND40.6 trillion ($1.54 billion), posting a strong growth rate of 12.2%.

According to the latest report from the National Statistics Office, trade and service activities in May continued to record positive growth signals.

Total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue at current prices in the month reached an estimated VND647.1 trillion ($24.56 billion), representing a 0.5% increase over the previous month and a robust 11.8% surge compared to the same period last year.

For the first five months of 2026, total retail sales and consumer service revenue totaled an estimated VND3,185 trillion ($121 million), up 11.2% year-on-year. When adjusted for price factors (inflation-adjusted), the total retail and service revenue increased by 6.1%, which is lower than the 7.2% growth recorded in the same period in 2025.

In terms of sectors, retail sales of goods during the first five months maintained the largest share at 75.9% of the total and rising 11.1% year-on-year. Within this segment, petroleum saw the highest growth at 12.7%; apparel increased by 10.2%; food and foodstuffs grew by 9.6%; household appliances up 7.5%; cultural and educational products rose by 5.6%; and other commodity groups jumped by 17.6%.

The accommodation and catering service sector generated an estimated VND400.4 trillion ($15 billion), accounting for 12.6% of the total and growing by 13.3% year-on-year. Notably, despite a modest share of 1.3%, the travel and tourism industry reached an estimated VND40.6 trillion ($1.54 billion), posting a strong growth rate of 12.2%.

These results are attributed to the effective combination of optimized visa policies, aggressive tourism promotion and stimulus campaigns, and improved service quality, which have collectively attracted a large number of domestic and international tourists.

Finally, revenue from other services in the first five months accounted for 10.2% of the total and increasing by 9.1% compared to the same period in 2025.

In terms of retail sales of goods, Quang Ninh province led the country with a 12.9% year-on-year increase. It was followed by Da Nang, Dong Nai, Can Tho, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

For accommodation and catering services, An Giang province recorded the most spectacular breakthrough, with revenue soaring by 24.4%. Many other key tourism hubs also posted significant growth rates, including Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Hue, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Can Tho, HCM City, and Hanoi.

In the travel and tourism sector, Khanh Hoa province solidified its leading position with revenue skyrocketing by 33.8% compared to the same period last year. Other top-performing localities included Quang Ninh, Quang Ngai, Hue, Hai Phong, Hanoi, and HCM City.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s import-export turnover reached US$445.12 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 25% year on year, according to data from the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.

Exports totaled US$215.66 billion during the January–May period, up 19.5% year on year.

Foreign-invested enterprises were the key driver of Vietnam’s exports, accounting for nearly 80% of export turnover and recording significantly stronger growth than the domestic business sector.

Notably, 26 export items generated more than US$1 billion each in turnover, together contributing over 90% of the country’s total export value. Among them, seven products surpassed the US$10 billion mark.

On the import side, Vietnam recorded US$229.46 billion in imports, up 30.8% compared with the same period last year. The foreign-invested sector also accounted for a large share of imports, posting faster growth than domestic enterprises.

Major trading partners continued to play dominant roles in Vietnam’s trade balance.

The United States remained Vietnam’s largest export market, with export turnover hitting US$69.6 billion. Meanwhile, China continued to be Vietnam’s largest source of imports, supplying goods worth US$92.6 billion.

Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of US$13.8 billion in the first five months of 2026, reversing from a trade surplus of US$5.1 billion in the same period last year.

The country continued to post trade surpluses with the United States and the European Union, while recording large trade deficits with China, the Republic of Korea and ASEAN countries.

The latest figures indicate that Vietnam’s trade activities have maintained strong growth momentum, but also highlight the country’s considerable dependence on imported raw materials and components, particularly from Asian economies.

The sharp rise in imports partly reflected growing demand for machinery, equipment and intermediate goods to support manufacturing expansion and export production.