Knowledge base

On 23 April 2026, the 16th National Assembly passed the Law on Access to Information No. 01/2026/QH16, replacing the 2016 Access to Information Law (No. 104/2016/QH13). The new law takes effect on 1 September 2026. It sets out citizens' right to access information created or held by state agencies and public service units, and the corresponding disclosure obligations of those bodies. For businesses, a few points matter. First, a company's trade secrets can only be released to a third-party requester with the owner's consent, unless the head of the relevant agency decides disclosure is necessary for public interest or public health. Second, the law requires state agencies to proactively publish information useful for due diligence and compliance, including land-use planning, public investment and procurement results, and administrative penalties for tax, intellectual property, environmental, labor, and social insurance violations. Third, foreign nationals residing in Vietnam, including staff of foreign-invested enterprises, have the right to request information directly related to their own rights and obligations. The law does not itself set VAT, corporate income tax, e-invoice, labor, or customs rules; it is a general framework governing transparency of state-held information. Business owners and accountants should be aware of it mainly for two reasons: protecting their own trade secrets when a third party requests access to information a state agency holds about them, and using the public-disclosure and request channels it creates to check planning, procurement, and enforcement records relevant to compliance or partner due diligence.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has issued Circular No. 09/2026/TT-NHNN dated May 19, 2026, replacing Circular 16/2022/TT-NHNN, to set out detailed rules on the custody and use of valuable papers at the SBV. Covered instruments include SBV bills, government bonds, treasury bills, government-guaranteed bonds, local government bonds, special bonds or bad-debt-purchase bonds issued for VAMC, and certain bonds issued by commercial banks or other enterprises. The rules apply to SBV units, the Deposit Insurance of Vietnam, credit institutions, foreign bank branches, and other entities designated by the SBV Governor (collectively, members). The Circular establishes two custody channels: direct custody at the SBV (via its Trading Floor Department) or custody through the SBV customer account opened at the Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation (VSDC). Valuable papers may be used in monetary market operations such as open market operations, refinancing (secured lending, discounting), special lending, and pledging or margin deposits to set overdraft and overnight lending limits, net debit limits, centralized payment limits, and electronic clearing limits, as well as secured lending and sale-purchase transactions between members on the interbank market. The Circular also specifies the documentation, procedures, and timelines for opening and closing accounts, ownership transfer, principal and interest payment, and withdrawal of valuable papers, with most processing steps set at one to two business days. This is a technical, operational circular that mainly governs the relationship between the SBV, credit institutions, foreign bank branches, and VSDC on the money market. It has no direct provisions on tax, e-invoicing, labor, or customs matters relevant to SMEs or general accounting practitioners. The Circular takes effect on July 4, 2026.

Decree 220/2026/ND-CP, issued by the Government on 22 June 2026, amends Decree 67/2023/ND-CP on mandatory motor vehicle civil liability insurance, mandatory fire and explosion insurance, and mandatory insurance for construction activities. It takes effect from 1 July 2026. The most significant change is a newly issued premium schedule (Appendix III) for mandatory construction-period insurance, split into two groups: projects with no or limited equipment-installation work (under 50% of value) and projects where equipment installation makes up 50% or more of value. Premium rates (per mille of project value) and deductible levels are set out in detail by project type - civil, industrial, technical infrastructure, transport, and agriculture and environment works. Insurers may adjust premiums up or down by a maximum of 25% based on risk assessment, but cannot discount below the set rates for projects in high natural-disaster-risk areas or when the insurer has posted a loss on its property insurance line for three consecutive financial years. The decree also clarifies who must buy the insurance: project owners remain primarily responsible even if they delegate purchasing to a contractor; it adds rules on the extra premium due when construction or warranty periods run longer than planned; and it requires survey, design, and construction contractors to supply project-value information so insurers can calculate the correct premium. Insurance contracts signed before the effective date continue under their original terms unless both parties agree to amend them under the new rules. Construction investors (including foreign-invested projects), contractors, and insurers should review mandatory insurance costs in existing contracts and new project budgets.

The Prime Minister issued Decision 21/2026/QD-TTg dated 30 April 2026 (effective 1 July 2026) promulgating the List of Strategic Technologies and the List of Strategic Technology Products, replacing Decision 1131/QD-TTg dated 12 June 2025. The list covers 10 strategic technology domains: digital technology (AI, big data, cloud computing, blockchain, IoT), next-generation mobile networks, robotics and automation, biotechnology and biomedical sciences, advanced energy and materials, semiconductor chips, cybersecurity and quantum technology, ocean and underground technology, aviation and space, and high-speed rail. The list of strategic technology products includes 30 products in two groups: those with existing markets (such as AI, chips, robots, clean energy) and future foundational technologies (such as quantum computing, rare earths, small modular nuclear reactors). This list may influence tax incentives for businesses investing in high-tech sectors.

Consolidated Document 29/VBHN-BCT combines Decree 55/2024/ND-CP, which implements the Consumer Protection Law, with the latest amendments from Decree 137/2026/ND-CP on multi-level marketing (MLM) management (effective July 1, 2026). It is a reference-only consolidation and has no independent legal effect on its own. For businesses selling to consumers, the rules require standard-form contracts and general trading conditions to be in Vietnamese, use at least 12pt font when printed on paper, and be registered with the regulator before use if the product or service is on the mandatory registration list. When a product defect is found, a business has only 24 hours to stop sales and 3 to 5 working days, depending on risk level, to publicly announce a recall. Large e-commerce platforms and social networks with 3 million or more active accounts a year must disclose their ranking algorithms, label sponsored content, and verify seller identities on regulator request. The biggest change is the new legal framework for MLM in Decree 137/2026/ND-CP, which replaces Decree 40/2018/ND-CP starting July 1, 2026. Existing MLM companies have 12 months to meet the new conditions and must keep a security deposit of at least VND 10 billion or 5% of charter capital.

On June 23, 2026, the Prime Minister issued Decision 1119/QD-TTg amending and supplementing the National Financial Strategy to 2030 (originally issued under Decision 368/QD-TTg dated March 21, 2022). The amendment updates national fiscal targets to align with the newly adopted «double-digit growth» goal (GDP growth of 10% per year or more) for 2026-2030, tying the strategy to recent National Assembly and Politburo resolutions on socio-economic development, national finance, and the private sector. The decision revises a wide range of targets: the state budget revenue mobilization ratio rises to about 18% of GDP for 2026-2030 (with tax and fee revenue around 14-15% of GDP); budget spending is restructured to raise the development-investment expenditure share to about 40% while cutting recurrent spending to 51-52%; the budget deficit ceiling is widened to about 5% of GDP by 2030, while the public debt ceiling remains capped at 60% of GDP. The decision also adds a new set of solutions on institutional reform and removing barriers to investment and business, targeting a top-3 ASEAN investment environment ranking by 2028, alongside restructuring state-owned enterprises and reforming the financing mechanism for public service units. For businesses and foreign investors, the notable signal is a shift in FDI attraction policy away from tax-based incentives toward other incentive forms, applying a «post-incentive, results-based incentive» approach, together with a commitment to build a modern, transparent tax system and a ban on local tax incentives that exceed current tax law. This is a macro-level strategic policy document that does not itself create immediate compliance obligations for businesses, but it is an important policy signal that SME owners, accountants, and foreign investors should track, since it will be translated into concrete tax and investment legislation going forward. The decision takes effect from its signing date (June 23, 2026).

Circular 20/2026/TT-BCT (issued April 17, 2026, effective June 2, 2026) amends Circular 10/2025/TT-BCT, which sets the avoided-cost tariff methodology applied to power purchase agreements (PPAs) between small renewable energy plants, mainly small hydropower, and Vietnam Electricity (EVN). Key changes include redefining wet-season and dry-season date ranges based on the regional power-dispatch control area rather than administrative borders, so the tariff stays stable through provincial mergers; shifting tariff authority from the general "state electricity management agency at MOIT" to the Electricity Authority under MOIT; updating Article 3 of the standard PPA template; and reissuing the entire tariff calculation methodology (replacing Appendix II) covering avoided energy cost, avoided transmission loss, and avoided capacity cost. This is a sector-specific energy-pricing regulation aimed at small renewable power plant investors, operators, and EVN. It has no direct VAT, corporate income tax, e-invoicing, accounting-standard, labor, or customs content, so it has limited direct relevance to the SME owners and accountants who make up most of RegHub's audience.

Consolidated Document No. 28/VBHN-BCT merges the original Decree 75/2019/ND-CP with the amendments introduced by Decree 102/2026/ND-CP (effective May 20, 2026), setting out the full administrative penalty framework for competition law violations in Vietnam. It applies to all businesses, including foreign-invested enterprises operating in Vietnam, industry associations, and related domestic and foreign organizations and individuals. Fine levels remain steep: up to 10% of relevant revenue for restrictive agreements and abuse of a dominant or monopoly market position; up to 5% of revenue for economic concentration violations such as prohibited mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, and joint ventures; and up to VND 2 billion for unfair competition acts including trade secret infringement, coercion of business partners, spreading false information about competitors, or predatory below-cost selling. Decree 102/2026/ND-CP adds a default rule setting the specific fine at the midpoint of the applicable range, introduces two new remedial measures (compelling full and truthful information disclosure, and compelling full compliance with economic-concentration approval conditions), and repeals several outdated supplementary penalty provisions. For SME owners and foreign investors, the key takeaway is that M&A deals, joint ventures, or cooperation agreements with same-industry partners can be classified as economic concentration or a restrictive agreement if not pre-notified to the National Competition Commission, with fines that can reach billions of dong. Businesses should review distribution agreements, exclusivity clauses, and any planned M&A activity to confirm compliance ahead of the May 20, 2026 effective date.

On March 28, 2026, the Prime Minister issued Decision 11/2026/QD-TTg promulgating the List of National Databases, effective from May 19, 2026. The decision lists 20 national databases that ministries and agencies must build, manage, and connect through mandatory data-sharing under Decree 278/2025/ND-CP, covering population, land, health, education, civil servants, social security, state archives, administrative procedures, construction activities, climate change, artificial intelligence, exit-entry, administrative violation handling, asset and income control, electronic identity, and location identification. For businesses and accountants, the two most relevant entries are the National Finance Database and the National Business Registration Database, both managed by the Ministry of Finance. Consolidating specialized finance-sector databases (which include tax, customs, and business registration data) into one integrated national data warehouse is groundwork for future automated data-sharing between tax authorities, the business registration agency, and other state bodies, which could eventually change how businesses declare and verify information when completing administrative procedures. The decision does not impose any new direct compliance obligations on businesses; responsibility for building, updating, and connecting the data rests with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and provincial People's Committees. This is a foundational document on national data architecture that businesses and accountants should track, since it shapes the data infrastructure that tax, customs, and business registration authorities will rely on in the coming years.

Circular 08/2026/TT-NHNN dated 15 May 2026, issued by the State Bank Governor (signed by Deputy Governor Doan Thai Son), amends point (a) of clause 4, Article 20 of Circular 22/2019/TT-NHNN, redefining the deposit components used as the denominator in the bank liquidity ratio calculation. Under the new rule, deposits from domestic and foreign organisations (including deposits from other credit institutions and foreign bank branches) are included in the denominator, but the following are excluded: (i) margin deposits and special-purpose deposits from customers; (ii) demand deposits from the State Treasury; and (iii) 80% of the balance of time deposits from the State Treasury. This replaces the provision in clause 1, Article 1 of Circular 26/2022/TT-NHNN on the same matter. The circular took effect on 15 May 2026.

The Prime Minister approved the terms of reference for revising the National Forestry Planning for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050. This is an approval of the methodological framework document for conducting the planning revision, not the revised plan itself. The document is based on the Law on Forestry, the Law on Planning, and National Assembly resolutions on administrative unit reorganization and the national master plan. It has no direct impact on SME tax or financial obligations. The Decision was signed on 11 May 2026.