HANOI, Jan. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnam will increase the minimum salary for people working in foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) by 39-47.9 percent from next month, according to official sources.

    Under a recent government decision, the monthly salary is to rise to 710,000-870,000 Vietnamese dong (VND) (45-55 U.S. dollars)on Feb. 1 from current 480,000-626,000 VND (30.4-40 dollars) according to locations of FIEs, the Salary and Wage Department under Vietnam's Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said on Monday.

    The highest minimum salary rate is applicable to FIEs operating in the inner areas of Hanoi and southern Ho Chi Minh City; the medium rate, 790,000 VND (50 dollars), those in outskirts of the two municipalities, the two northern cities of Ha Long and Hai Phong, the two southern cities of Bien Hoa and Vung Tau and some districts of southern Binh Duong province; the lowest rate those in the remaining areas.

    The existing minimum salary for FIE employees has been adopted since 1999, the department said. Now, the monthly minimum salary of Vietnam's state employees is 350,000 VND (22 dollars), up from 290,000 VND (18 dollars) in October 2005.

    As of late last year, Vietnam housed 5,700 operational foreign-invested projects with total registered capital of more than 50 billion dollars. It hopes to lure 6 billion dollars worth of fresh investment and additional capital of existing projects this year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Enditem