IFC okays $75 million loan for SeABank
The World Bank’s financial arm IFC has approved a five-year convertible loan of $75 million to support SeABank’s growth and increase targeted lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Of the total package, at least $20 million will be earmarked exclusively for on-lending to women-led SMEs, IFC stated Thursday.
The entire loan is on IFC’s own account, the World Bank investment arm added.
A transaction at SeABank in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the bank.
Hanoi-headquartered SeABank, a leading commercial bank in the country, announced this January that IFC and five international lenders increased a loan package earlier granted to it from $150 million to $220 million to further support targeted lending to SMEs.
The five credit suppliers are Banque Internationale de Commerce-BRED, Blue Orchard Microfinance Fund, Kasikornbank, the OPEC Fund for International Development, and responsAbility Investments.
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation said this June it had approved a $200 million loan to SeABank to back SMEs and for climate finance.
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Hoa Phat Agriculture to maintain annual cash dividends after listing
Hoa Phat Group said its agriculture arm will continue paying annual cash dividends after listing, as its investment needs through 2030 amount to only about VND1.5 trillion ($56.87 million), funded by IPO proceeds and depreciation, leaving room to distribute profits to shareholders.
Companies - Tue, December 2, 2025 | 5:41 pm GMT+7
Elon Musk company close to securing pilot licence for Starlink satellite internet services in Vietnam: official
The U.S.'s SpaceX is preparing to resubmit its application for a pilot licence to provide Starlink satellite internet services in Vietnam, after addressing several issues raised by regulators.
Industries - Tue, December 2, 2025 | 4:44 pm GMT+7
Central Vietnam province Ha Tinh seeks investors for $664 mln wind power project
Ha Tinh province authorities have begun seeking investors for the 400MW Ky Anh wind power plant, the largest of its kind in north-central Vietnam, according to their announcement.
Energy - Tue, December 2, 2025 | 3:08 pm GMT+7
Growth recorded in Vietnam's manufacturing sector despite severe typhoons, floods
Output, new orders, and employment all continued to rise in November, despite reports of disruption caused by severe typhoons which impacted supply chains and the ability of manufacturers to complete work on time, according to S&P Global.
Economy - Tue, December 2, 2025 | 11:42 am GMT+7
Vietnam's multi-sector group Thaco to sell bananas to Fresh Del Monte under 10-year deal
Truong Hai Group (Thaco), a leading private conglomerate in Vietnam, will supply Fresh Del Monte, a leading global fruit and vegetable producer and distributor based in the U.S., with bananas under a 10-year contract, beginning with 71,500 tons this year.
Companies - Tue, December 2, 2025 | 8:30 am GMT+7
Malaysia’s e-commerce revenue rises sharply
Malaysia’s e-commerce revenue for the first nine months of 2025 totalled MYR937.5 billion ($226.8 billion), up 1.9% compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
Southeast Asia - Mon, December 1, 2025 | 10:31 pm GMT+7
Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index climbs above 1,700 points
VN-Index, which represents the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), rose past the 1,700-point mark in the first trading session of December, supported mainly by gains in VIC (Vingroup), VPL (Vinpearl), and VHM (Vinhomes).
Finance - Mon, December 1, 2025 | 5:13 pm GMT+7
Samsung Vietnam appoints its first Vietnamese senior executive
Samsung Vietnam has appointed Nguyen Hoang Giang as vice president of Samsung Electronics Vietnam Thai Nguyen (SEVT), marking the first time a local national has been named to such a senior leadership position at a manufacturing unit of the company in Vietnam.
Companies - Mon, December 1, 2025 | 4:30 pm GMT+7
Vietnam to apply Euro 1 emission standards to pre-1999 cars from next March
Vehicles manufactured before 1999 in Vietnam must meet Level 1 emissions standards (equivalent to Euro 1) from March 1, 2026, according to a new government decision.
Economy - Mon, December 1, 2025 | 2:55 pm GMT+7
Aeon breaks ground on $38 mln shopping mall in Vietnam's Mekong Delta province Dong Thap
Japanese-invested Aeon Vietnam on Saturday broke ground for a VND1 trillion ($37.95 million) shopping mall project in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, southern Vietnam.
Industries - Mon, December 1, 2025 | 1:46 pm GMT+7
EV makers in Vietnam likely to be exempted from battery collection, recycling requirements
Manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries in Vietnam are likely to be exempted from collection and recycling responsibilities, as producers currently do not have battery waste to recycle.
Economy - Mon, December 1, 2025 | 10:14 am GMT+7
Confidence in a new cycle for Vietnam’s stock market
Financial expert Huynh Hoang Phuong believes that Vietnam’s market status upgrade from "frontier" to "second emerging", set to be effective from September 2026, will provide an important foundation for the stock market to enter a new development cycle - one filled with many opportunities but also challenges.
Finance - Mon, December 1, 2025 | 6:59 am GMT+7
Malaysia leads Southeast Asia’s digital economic growth
Malaysia is now the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia with a year-on-year increase of 19%, and on track to reach $39 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) this year, according to the 10th edition of the e-Conomy SEA Report 2025.
Southeast Asia - Sun, November 30, 2025 | 4:19 pm GMT+7
'K-pop Father' Lee Soo-man to build $99 mln entertainment-tourism complex in central Vietnam
South Korean producer Lee Soo-man, known as the “Father of K-pop,” plans to invest nearly VND2.6 trillion ($98.62 million) in a cultural, sports, recreation, commercial and tourism complex in Gia Lai province through Blooming Sky Co., Ltd.
Real Estate - Sun, November 30, 2025 | 12:09 pm GMT+7
Thailand’s WHA seeks special mechanisms for two industrial zone projects in central Vietnam
WHA Industrial Zone Nghe An, a unit of WHA Group - Thailand's leader in fully-integrated logistics and industrial facilities solution - has submitted a proposal to Nghe An province authorities seeking to have its projects included in the list of those eligible for special mechanisms.
Industrial real estate - Sun, November 30, 2025 | 10:07 am GMT+7
Steelmaker Nam Kim to explore tin-nickel coated steel production for EV battery shells
Nam Kim Steel JSC (HoSE: NKG), a leading coated‑steel manufacturer in Vietnam, plans to research production of tin‑coated steel for the packaging industry, and tin‑nickel coated steel for electric‑vehicle battery shells, serving both domestic and export markets.
Companies - Sun, November 30, 2025 | 8:00 am GMT+7
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