CRIF Forum puts trusted data at heart of Vietnam’s growth

The forum brought together perspectives from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), National Innovation Centre, UK Export Finance, International Finance Corporation, Dragon Capital Vietnam, Vietcombank Fund Management and the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, alongside representatives from the financial, business and professional services sectors.

The discussions came as Vietnam seeks higher-value, resilient growth after years of expansion driven by manufacturing, exports and foreign investment. With the economy entering a more sophisticated stage, the focus is shifting towards productivity, innovation, stronger domestic enterprises and deeper participation in higher-value segments of global supply chains.

Delegates attend the inaugural CRIF Forum Vietnam 2026 in Hanoi. Photo: CRIF Vietnam

Nguyen Minh Tu, general director of CRIF D&B Vietnam, noted that business decisions would increasingly depend on the quality of information available to companies, financial institutions and investors as the economy becomes more interconnected and complex.

“Trusted data can help businesses and financial institutions assess risks, identify opportunities and allocate capital with greater confidence, while also allowing enterprises to demonstrate their credibility when working with domestic and international partners,” said Tu.

Nguyen Xuan Tho, deputy director general of the Agency for Private Enterprise and Cooperative Development under the MoF, highlighted the importance of transparency and investor confidence as Vietnam modernises its financial markets and seeks to attract domestic and international capital.

“Transparent information, modern data infrastructure and stronger market institutions will increasingly form part of a trusted investment environment,” Tho pointed out.

The forum highlighted that Vietnamese enterprises seeking to move up global value chains will need stronger productivity, digital capabilities and corporate transparency, alongside the ability to demonstrate credibility to banks, investors, customers and international partners.

Reliable business information is becoming important in this transition. Greater visibility into companies, counterparties, suppliers and commercial relationships can support capital allocation, help businesses identify reliable partners and enable Vietnamese enterprises to demonstrate their capabilities to markets.

For manufacturers and exporters, transparency is also increasingly connected to market access and competitiveness. As international trade requirements evolve, companies face growing demands for visibility into suppliers, counterparties, the origin of goods and risks across value chains. Transparency is therefore moving beyond compliance to become a factor affecting financing, investment and market access.

The rapid adoption of AI is adding another layer to quality. The forum emphasised reliable data, appropriate governance, transparency and human oversight alongside wider AI adoption.

The discussions also pointed to a shift in Vietnam’s growth model, from its established position as a manufacturing and export hub towards a more innovation-driven economy. Productivity, technology adoption, stronger domestic enterprise capabilities and trusted data were identified as foundations for creating greater value and maintaining competitiveness.

CRIF Vietnam and APED representatives sign the MoU. Photo: CRIF Vietnam

Against this backdrop, CRIF Vietnam signed an MoU with the Centre for Enterprise, Household Business and Collective Economy Information, under the Agency for Private Enterprise and Collective Economy Development (APED), to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their digital and green transition.

The partnership aims to help SMEs improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and gain better access to green finance. It will combine APED’s enterprise data and SME network with CRIF Vietnam’s expertise in business information, credit assessment and ESG analysis.

A key goal is to reduce duplication. The two sides will explore whether assessments completed under one system can be recognised by others, potentially allowing businesses to use existing results when seeking ESG certification rather than undergoing similar assessments again.

They will also study how data from existing transition and ESG assessment tools could make it easier for SMEs to obtain green finance by reducing paperwork, procedures and upfront compliance costs

The cooperation seeks to strengthen the role of enterprise data in financing decisions, complementing traditional collateral-based approaches with more comprehensive information on business quality and capabilities.

Under APED’s Twin Transition Challenge 2026, the nine best-performing enterprises will receive complimentary access to a Synesgy account for 12 months, while the following 21 enterprises will receive a 50 per cent discount on the account fee for 12 months, subject to Synesgy’s procedures and requirements.

Le Van Khuong, director of the Business Registration Supporting Centre under APED, emphasised that the objective was to make the twin transition more substantive rather than simply a reporting exercise.

“The cooperation would allow businesses completing the twin-transition maturity assessment to use their results towards an ESG certificate meeting international standards, supporting preparation for international markets and engagement with banks and credit institutions on green finance,” said Khuong.

Beyond ESG and green finance, the MoU also envisages research into an Enterprise Data Passport model.

The proposed model would be developed based on Vietnamese enterprise practices and combined with the D-U-N-S Number and other international enterprise identification standards, while considering data requirements related to exports, taxation and access to global markets. The parties stressed that collection, processing and sharing of enterprise data must comply with Vietnam’s data protection regulations.

The cooperation is expected to help Vietnamese SMEs strengthen twin-transition capabilities, improve information transparency and prepare for opportunities in green finance and international markets, while creating conditions for domestic enterprises to participate more deeply in global value chains.

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