Asia Economics Weekly Vietnam needs to remain in tightening mode Policymakers in Vietnam have been busy so far this year tackling the risk of the economy overheating. Nonetheless, policy settings were left too loose for too long and recent data show that broad... 16th May 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam to continue focusing on inflation risks Vietnam’s Q1 GDP figures were released today and show that growth eased at the start of the year. We expect the expansion to stay on a weaker track this year given policymakers’ ongoing efforts to... 29th March 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam aims for a comprehensive policy shift The decision of Vietnam’s central bank to raise both the refinancing and discount rates to 12% today (from 11% and 7% respectively) was in line with the recent top-level directive to get a grip on... 8th March 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Set for above-trend growth GDP growth across Emerging Asia has slowed, but is likely to pick up again soon. Domestic demand, trade between the emerging markets, as well as policy flexibility, will cushion the downside... 22nd February 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam's base rate hike a step in the right direction Vietnam’s central bank hiked its policy rate by a larger-than-expected 200bp to 11% today, which follows on from last week’s devaluation of the dong against US dollar. It appears that policymakers are... 17th February 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam still needs to do much more Vietnam’s central bank today devalued the reference rate for the dong by around 9%. The move was bigger than expected but long overdue. To be a success, today’s adjustment has to be complemented soon... 11th February 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam set to adjust and target lower inflation Vietnam’s National Party Congress, which closed today, is the most important set-piece meeting of the Communist Party. Comments from the top officials, to no-one’s surprise, suggest that containing... 19th January 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update To avoid crisis, policy in Vietnam needs to change soon The authorities in Vietnam continue to give mixed signals on what they will do in 2011. This should not be a big surprise ahead of the important National Party Congress which will take place next week... 6th January 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Vietnam likely to target stability over growth Data published in Vietnam over the next few days should confirm that the economy expanded at a rapid pace in Q4 but inflation remains far too high. What’s more, recent debt downgrades have highlighted... 27th December 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is Vietnam heading for another crisis in 2011? Yes is the answer to this question, unless policy-makers change course. A shift is needed towards targeting stability and lower inflation, rather than achieving high growth for its own sake. The good... 2nd December 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Asia's slowdown to bottom soon (Q4 10) The post-recession rebound in most of Latin America is showing signs of slowing but growth is likely to remain fairly strong over the coming quarters. We still expect the region to expand by around 4... 1st December 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam makes the right move Vietnam’s central bank (SBV) lifted its policy rate by 100bp, to 9%, late on Friday. The adjustment is a step in the right direction but far more has to be done to ensure that inflation slows to the... 8th November 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Are Vietnam's policy-makers losing the plot? October data from Vietnam have brought a sharp acceleration in annual inflation and another increase in the merchandise trade deficit. Nevertheless, the authorities continue to target faster credit... 2nd November 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam should compromise on growth and target stability September data and Q3 GDP published over the last few days show that the economy in Vietnam is picking up speed. This contrasts with just about everywhere else in ASEAN where growth is losing rather... 27th September 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Asia is re-balancing and will continue to lead (Q3 10) The global upswing is now regaining some traction and the threat of renewed financial crisis has diminished. However, the world recovery will stay weak and vulnerable to other risks such as deflation... 23rd September 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam set for rapid, but high risk, growth August data published over the last week show that the upswing in Vietnam remains strong, inflation has stayed on a slower track, while higher capital inflows are easing the strain on the balance of... 31st August 2010 · 1 min read