VĨNH LONG — Vĩnh Long maintained its economic recovery in the first half of 2026, with GRDP rising 6.41 per cent year-on-year, driven by growth of industry and services.

According to the provincial Statistics Office, the local economy gained momentum during the second quarter, when GRDP grew 7.38 per cent, up 1.91 percentage points from the first quarter.

Nguyễn Văn Toàn, head of the Vĩnh Long Statistics Office, said the province ranked 26th nationwide in second-quarter GRDP growth, climbing eight places from the previous quarter.

It also ranked third in the Mekong Delta, behind An Giang and Đồng Tháp.

The province's economic expansion was driven mainly by the industrial and services sectors.

During the first half, the services sector rose 7.69 per cent, and product taxes less subsidies increased 8.47 per cent. 

Retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue totalled nearly VNĐ99 trillion (US$3.8 billion) during the January–June period, an increase of 17.3 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Industrial production recorded a strong recovery, with manufacturing and electricity production and distribution remaining the key growth drivers.

The province's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) increased 9.21 per cent from a year earlier.

Manufacturing rose 10.18 per cent, supported by stable output, export orders and domestic demand in key industries, including food and beverage processing, garments, leather and footwear, chemicals, rubber and plastics, electrical equipment and motor vehicle manufacturing.

Meanwhile, the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector grew 3.4 per cent year-on-year, while industry and construction expanded 7.58 per cent.

Focus on investment and business support

The province also continued improving its business environment through administrative reform and more efficient business registration procedures.

A total of 1,568 new enterprises were established in the first half of the year, fulfilling 82.5 per cent of the annual target, with combined registered capital exceeding VNĐ5.66 trillion.

Toàn said the authourity had proposed a range of measures to help the province sustain stronger growth during the remainder of the year.

Priority should also be given to accelerating the disbursement of public investment, particularly for key transport, energy and logistics infrastructure projects, in order to improve investment efficiency and create new growth momentum.

In addition, the province plans to step up support for businesses by removing production and business bottlenecks, promoting trade promotion activities, expanding digital and e-commerce distribution channels, and providing timely market information to help enterprises broaden their domestic markets.

In agriculture, authorities will strengthen monitoring and control of crop and livestock diseases, implement measures to protect production and ensure high rice yields, while helping farmers secure stable markets for agricultural products to safeguard incomes and encourage continued production. — VNS