Vietnam septuagenarian successfully claims savings interest over a decade on Ngo Thi Hoi's savings book issued by the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam. Tuoi Tre Ngo Thi Hoi left her savings book largely forgotten in a drawer until early this month, when she suddenly recalled its existence after more than one decade. The 79-year-old resident of Hanoi opened an account at the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) at the Hoan Kiem District branch with an initial deposit of VND27 million on May 13, 1999. The deposit had a term of six months and an interest rate of 0.8 percent a month. On October 16, 2001, Hoi deposited another VND20 million for a 12-month term with a 0.55 percent monthly interest rate, and US$7,000 for 12 months at 2.25 percent a month. The average VND-USD exchange rate was VND13,900 to the dollar in 1999, and VND14,752 to the dollar in 2001. Hoi and her family members then forgot the valuable savings for as many as 15 years. Upon finding the ignored savings book recently, Hoi tried to claim her money at the same branch she had deposited it. Fortunately enough, the BIDV Hoan Kiem branch confirmed that her savings are still in its database. The bank then completed procedures to repay Hoi her deposits and interest as per the savings’ terms and interest rates as of December 10, 2014. The Hanoian received VND97.99 million ($4,612) in interest for her VND27 million ($1,942 in 1999) deposit, and VND66.67 million for the VND20 million ($1,356 in 2001) sum. The savings in U.S. dollars garnered an interest of $10,427. Hoi is much luckier than Le Thi Bich Thuy, a Ho Chi Minh City-based woman who received a mere VND4,385 (roughly 20 U.S. cents) for a VND270 deposit she made in 1983. The savings was equivalent to five months' salary for a civil servant in that year. On Friday, Thuy handed over her savings book to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum to be displayed as an artifact of Vietnam's Subsidy Economy (1975-1986). TUOI TRE NEWS