State Bank of Vietnam meets US-ASEAN Business Council to discuss banking and payments regulation and signals 2026 credit growth around 15%

The State Bank of Vietnam hosted a delegation from the US-ASEAN Business Council led by Brian McFeeters, using the meeting to discuss issues raised by US companies on banking regulation and payment system development and to outline near-term policy priorities, including an indicative 2026 credit growth rate for the banking system of around 15% subject to adjustment. The agenda covered the legal framework for clearing mechanisms, use of the SWIFT messaging system in banking, rules on factoring, credit growth limits and foreign ownership caps in the banking sector, and potential contributions from US firms to digital transformation, cashless payments and the security and safety of payment systems. Deputy Governor Nguyen Ngoc Canh also pointed to continued coordination with fiscal and other macro policies to control inflation and support growth, and aligned with recommendations to diversify funding channels and deepen capital and stock markets; the US-ASEAN Business Council expressed support for the State Bank’s direction on modernising payments, green finance and digitalisation. The State Bank said the delegation’s recommendations would be a useful input for policy formulation and called for continued cooperation through closer information exchange and coordination.