On Tuesday, the 16th National Assembly of Vietnam heard reports and verification reports during its second session on two draft laws. The bills would amend laws on commerce, competition, foreign trade management and consumer protection, as well as the Law on Electricity.
Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung said the bill amending four laws seeks to institutionalise Party policies, remove legal obstacles, simplify administrative procedures, strengthen decentralisation and delegation of authority, and improve the business environment. The six-article bill would also abolish unnecessary administrative procedures and business conditions.
Phan Van Mai, chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs, said the committee agreed to amend the four laws to remove institutional bottlenecks, promote administrative reform and meet the requirements of digital economy development. It called for checks against the Civil Code, laws on investment, enterprises, e-commerce, data and customs, and international treaties to which Vietnam is a party.
Decentralisation should be accompanied by accountability, supervision and adequate resources. Administrative procedures should be further digitised and databases shared. For digital platforms, the committee recommended clear, transparent and predictable rules on commercial promotion and maximum discounts, with a clear distinction between such practices and abuse of market dominance or unfair competition.
On consumer protection, the committee supported giving consumers greater control over personal information collection and use. It said the draft should align with personal data protection regulations on consent, withdrawal of consent, and the handling of data belonging to minors and vulnerable consumers.
Institutionalising energy security policies
The draft law amending certain articles of the Law on Electricity aims to implement new energy security policies and address bottlenecks in power planning, investment, investor selection, electricity pricing and market operations. The three-article draft proposes revising 27 existing articles and repealing three others.
Nguyen Thanh Hai, chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, broadly supported the amendments, saying they would help resolve practical difficulties, strengthen decentralisation and reduce administrative procedures and business conditions in the power sector.
However, she noted that the Law on Electricity had only been revised in 2024 and took effect on February 1, 2025. Further amendments within a short period could undermine legal stability and predictability. The committee urged the Government to focus on genuinely urgent issues, assess major policies before putting them into law, and guard the legislative process against corruption, abuse of power and group interests.
Sources: Viet Nam News
