The Government plans to borrow VND 342,06 trillion (more than US$15 billion) this year, according to a scheme approved recently by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. SEE MORE Vietnam’s trade deficit neared US$2.8 billion in the first four months this year, approximating 4.5 percent of export import turnover, reported the Ministry of Industry and Trade. SEE MORE Vietnam is targeting keeping public debt, comprising central government debt, government-backed loans, and local government debt, below 65 percent of GDP between 2016 and 2018. SEE MORE On April 11 the State Bank of Việt Nam decided to increase the rate of the US dollar it buys from credit institutions by VNĐ100 to VNĐ22,675. SEE MORE In its latest report on Vietnam economic outlook, HSBC believes the low GDP growth during the first quarter of this year is only a minor setback and that the manufacturing sector has the potential to lift growth in the coming quarters. SEE MORE