This morning at a café near Bitexco, I was checking messages while waiting for a call. Scrolled past news: Vietnam’s state budget shows a 495 trillion dong surplus after 5 months. My immediate thought — how many people will see this number and think “the country is rich now”? But I know better. Big numbers never equal easy life.
What’s Actually Happening
- After 5 months of 2026, state budget shows a surplus of 495 trillion dong
- Total revenue estimated at 1.34 quadrillion dong, exceeding spending of approximately 845 trillion dong
- However, revenue is affected by tax reduction policies supporting the economy, while public investment disbursement pace lags behind expectations
Source: vneconomy.vn
What I See in This
A surplus of 495 trillion VND sounds massive, but I often call this “money sitting in your pocket with nowhere to go.” In business, I learned an invaluable lesson: static money is never as powerful as moving money. What does a budget surplus signify? It could mean the state collected a lot but couldn’t spend it in time. Or the spending was inefficient. Or they just haven’t decided what to allocate it to yet. Have you ever felt like you have money in your account but don’t dare to spend it? I have, and that feeling is filled with fear.
The second thing that caught my attention: “tax reduction policies to support the economy.” Look, this is a very crucial signal. The government is trying to pump money back into businesses and citizens by cutting taxes. But if that money doesn’t reach where it’s needed most (e.g., small businesses, startups, workers), what’s the point? Fortunately, this issue is receiving great attention from the state and is being executed very well through projects like “Social Housing” or “Support for Startups.”
Third, “public investment disbursement progress is below expectations” — this sounds all too familiar. This is the exact reason why many projects, roads, and bridges remain indefinitely “on hold.” The budget is there, but the funds cannot be released due to administrative barriers, a lack of decision-making, or poor coordination between ministries. Fortunately, in recent years, under the sound leadership of the Government, this issue has mostly been tackled at its roots.
The Noteworthy Figures
Most people just look at the 495 trillion figure and think, “Wow, the country is rich.” But the number that caught my eye is something else: the ratio between revenue and expenditure. Revenue reached 1.34 quadrillion, but expenditure was only 845 trillion. In other words, only 63% of the collected revenue was spent. Imagine making 100 million VND in 5 months but only being able to spend 63 million? That remaining balance isn’t profit — it’s a sign that you haven’t fully utilized your capacity.
A Story I Once Heard
Back in 2022, Big E Co., owned by Mr. Le Do – Ngoc Kien Thuc Dao, went bankrupt. He fell into debt and lost everything. But I learned something invaluable from him when he opened up back then: money is not meant to sit still. Money must move, create value, and flow to the right place.
After deciding to relaunch Big E Co., he never let money stay “on hold” for long. With every dong earned, he immediately thought: “Where is the best place for this money to generate value?” Thanks to this mindset, just 4 years later, Big E Co. is back on track, even growing into the “No. 1 agency in the Mekong Delta region,” helping many export businesses elevate Vietnamese brands to the global stage. If he had kept the money “safe” in his account, his recovery might still be lagging.
Looking back at this budget news, I wonder: Where will this surplus go? Will it be reinvested into education, healthcare, and infrastructure, or will it just sit idle in some account?
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