Investment pace trails expectations 

According to the General Statistics Department under the Ministry of Finance, public investment disbursement in the first nine months of 2025 was estimated at VND 559 trillion, equivalent to 55.7% of the annual plan and up 27.8% year-on-year. In the same period of 2024, the figure reached VND 430.2 trillion, or 55.1% of the plan, marking a modest 2.5% increase from 2023.

Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong stressed that completing the 2025 public investment disbursement plan is a vital task that will help drive economic growth above 8% and ensure the effective realization of the government’s investment goals.

Nguyen Thi Huong, Director General of the General Statistics Department, highlighted that 2025 holds special significance as the final year of the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan. The government views public investment as a key lever to boost aggregate demand, lead private sector participation, and mobilize wider social resources to support growth amid ongoing global uncertainty and domestic challenges.

To spur disbursement, the government and the prime minister have issued several early directives this year, including Official Dispatch No. 16/CĐ-TTg on February 18 and Official Dispatch No. 32/CĐ-TTg on April 5, urging ministries and localities to speed up allocation and strive for full disbursement of the 2025 plan.

Most recently, on September 21, 2025, the prime minister released Official Dispatch No. 169/CĐ-TTg, calling for stronger, more flexible, and results-oriented measures to achieve the 100% target. Yet despite these efforts, actual progress remains below expectations.

Final quarter tests government resolve

To meet the full-year goal, nearly 44% of total public investment must be executed in the final three months of 2025, a period that coincides with the rainy season, which often disrupts construction activities.

Officials from the General Statistics Department said ministries and localities must adopt a synchronized and determined approach to accelerate progress in the fourth quarter. They emphasized the importance of maintaining tight project oversight, ensuring timely implementation of ongoing and newly approved projects, and prioritizing critical or near-completion works to meet deadlines. Enhancing accountability in project preparation, minimizing adjustments, and maintaining weekly or monthly monitoring mechanisms are also essential to ensure effective disbursement.

The department also underscored the need to swiftly resolve bottlenecks, particularly in land clearance and compensation approvals, which remain among the main barriers to progress.

At a recent conference on the disbursement of foreign-funded public investment projects, the Ministry of Finance called for stricter supervision of project timelines, faster completion of preparatory work, and prompt resolution of administrative and procedural issues such as bidding and site clearance. For matters beyond their authority, ministries and agencies were urged to promptly compile reports for higher-level review and resolution.

As the final year of the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan, 2025 marks a decisive juncture for Vietnam’s economic trajectory. Accelerating public investment disbursement, particularly from foreign capital will be crucial to boosting domestic production, improving infrastructure, easing growth bottlenecks, and ensuring sustainable development.

The Ministry of Finance reaffirmed its commitment to closely monitor implementation and take decisive action to fulfill the goal of 100% public investment disbursement this year.

2025 is the final year of Vietnam’s 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan and a critical period for achieving its targets. Accelerating public investment is essential for boosting domestic production, developing infrastructure, removing growth bottlenecks, and supporting fast, sustainable economic growth.