National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man described postal services as essential infrastructure for the digital economy and the movement of goods. He made the remarks during a discussion of the draft revised Law on Postal Services at the National Assembly on October 17.
Man said the proposed shift from preliminary inspection and licensing to registration and data-based post-inspection would be a major reform.
The draft law cuts 14 administrative procedures to one electronic registration procedure. Management agencies would check whether applications are complete rather than assess their content, while businesses would be responsible for compliance and later inspections.
The NA Chairman said the approach would reduce barriers to market entry and bring regulations closer to the digital economy. He cautioned that post-inspection would work only with reliable data and effective monitoring tools.
He called for clear requirements on sharing a minimum set of data, including postal item identification codes. He also proposed a mandatory digital transformation roadmap for large enterprises and technical assistance for smaller businesses.
The NA Chairman also called for a clear distinction between postal services, transport, independent logistics and warehousing. Services should be defined by their actual nature rather than their names, he said. More specific quantitative criteria are still needed to prevent loopholes and overlapping management responsibilities in the postal sector.
On the identification and tracking of postal items, Man said assigning each item a unique code throughout its journey would help shift management from detecting violations to preventing risks.
The rules must balance security requirements, privacy and compliance costs, he said. Risk classification criteria based on the value and type of goods, sender history and destination should be transparent. Personal data must be protected under the Law on Personal Data Protection.
On universal and expanded public-interest postal services, he stressed the need for financial sustainability and affordable access for people in remote, mountainous, border and island areas.
He proposed identifying services that the market could not adequately provide and establishing compensation based on actual costs and independent audits to avoid distorting competition.
“Multi-purpose service points combining public-interest and digital services should also be prioritised,” he said.
According to the NA Chairman, the draft law recognises that postal services are no longer limited to letters and have become important infrastructure for the digital economy and the movement of goods.
He urged lawmakers to clarify the legal boundaries of postal activities, establish an effective data and post-inspection system, and ensure transparent and sustainable public-service financing while supporting businesses, protecting consumers and securing networks.
During a morning group discussion of a draft law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Measurement, deputies broadly agreed on the need for the amendments and praised the drafting agency’s work.
Deputy Vo Thanh Tung of Hue City proposed adding provisions on professional standards, training requirements, conditions for certificate revocation and the legal responsibilities of inspectors. These inspectors directly sign inspection results with significant legal consequences.
Sources: Viet Nam News
