The Japan Desk, recently set up by the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), started official operation on November 21, aimed at assisting Japanese enterprises keen to invest in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam has recently attracted a large number of Japanese investors into various fields such as manufacturing, processing, agriculture, and technology, said Toma Masaaki, the Secretary in charge of investment, trade and industry at the Japanese Embassy.

He hoped that the FIA’s desk will play an active role in supporting Japanese investors.

FIA Director Do Nhat Hoang said the desk is tasked with providing official information and advice relating to legal issues and investment procedures for Japanese businesses.

At present, Japan ranks fourth out of countries and territories investing in Viet Nam with a newly registered and additional capital of some 1.66 billion USD, or 12.1 percent of the total foreign investment here.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment forecast that Japanese FDI would likely increase in the pharmaceutical, chemical and metal industries, machinery, electronics, traffic equipment, wholesale and retails.

According to the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Viet Nam lagged behind Thailand in terms of infrastructure readiness but had competitive advantages in workforce’s quality and labour cost.