Foreign direct investment rose in both newly-registered and disbursed capital during the first four months of the year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

Over 260 new projects were licensed during the period, worth a combined US$5.6 billion, an increase of 58.5 per cent in capital but a drop of 19.6 per cent in the number of projects over the same period last year.

FDI disbursement reached $1.1 billion in April, lifting total disbursement during the first four months of the year to $3.6 billion, an increase of 5.6 per cent over the same period in 2009.

During the period, the nation attracted $5.92 billion in FDI, a decline of 25.7 per cent year-on-year.

Among existing projects, 92 registered to increase capital by a combined $325 million, year-on-year decreases of 92.7 per cent in terms of capital and 30.3 per cent in the number of projects, respectively.

The Netherlands overtook the US as Viet Nam’s leading source of foreign investment during the first four months of the year with $2.15 billion in registered capital. Japan ranked second with $1.1 billion, followed by the US with just over $1 billion and South Korea with $813 million.

During the period, the central province of Quang Nam topped the list of provinces attracting foreign investment with registered capital of $2.15 billion, followed by the central province of Nghe An with $1billion, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau with $902 million and HCM City with $510 milion. — VNS