Asian leading property group CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), recently secured a contract to manage the 222-unit Ascott Waterfront Saigon from Canh Hung Hai Thanh Corporation, an affiliate company under the management of M.I.K Corporation, a leading professional real estate developer in Vietnam.

Despite facing accusations of lengthy delays in some of its luxury projects in inner Hanoi, the Tan Hoang Minh Group last week confirmed it planned to start yet another two projects early next year.

Vietnam's cement consumption increased six percent year-on-year to touch 53.22 million tonnes in the first ten months of 2014, according to the Construction Ministry's Building Material Department.

The Ha Noi People's Committee has asked relevant departments to review the progress of social housing projects and report on when the projects will be completed, before July 25.

After relatively good quarterly figures, the office market in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is becoming much more competitive with the entry of new supply. According to CBRE Vietnam, asking rents in Hanoi continued to decrease across the market, achieving an average of $21.8 per square meter per month.

Investors are allowed to change the number of apartments at their housing projects or convert their apartment projects into budget housing or service buildings until the end of 2015, according to a new circular issued by the Ministry of Construction.

Hundreds of new and environmentally-friendly building materials received exposure at the 2014 Vietbuild Hanoi Exhibition which took place from November 19-23 at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centre.

Leading economists say it is essential to have a separate financial system that is not run by State-owned banks to insure lending is based on merit, reduce the risk of a banking liquidity crisis and to better manage the country’s foreign exchange position.