Since the beginning of 2012, Hanoi has granted licenses to 150 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, valued at US$450 million, according to the city’s Statistics Office.

The number of projects and registered investment, however, saw a decline in comparison to the same period last year.

The majority of these newly-licensed projects focus on service, production and non-land use sectors at a small- and-medium-sized scale (under US$1 million).

At present, many industrial zones are facing difficulties in land acquisition and site clearance. Therefore, they have failed to lure more foreign investors over the past five months.