It has been common in Vietnam to see prices listed in foreign currencies, and traditionally items, especially land, have been valued in gold rather than money. However, with the erratic fluctuations in the financial markets, the devaluations of the Vietnamese dong (VND) and the sharp increase in the price of gold, the State of Vietnam has determined to exert stricter control over financial markets and particularly the widespread use of foreign currencies and gold pricing on the domestic market.
January 30 2012