Prime Minister Le Minh Huong chaired a comprehensive law-making thematic session in September 2026, where the government evaluated eight crucial legislative projects and resolutions slated for submission to the second session of the 16th National Assembly. The high-level meeting brought together key cabinet ministers, heads of central agencies, and leading legal experts to review draft laws designed to eliminate regulatory bottlenecks, enhance economic dynamism, and restructure administrative frameworks across the country.
The session underscored the administration’s unwavering commitment to overhauling the national legal framework in alignment with the ruling party’s overarching directives. Prime Minister Huong emphasized that modernizing the legislative landscape is no longer merely a bureaucratic exercise, but a foundational requirement for unlocking national resources, stimulating market growth, and establishing a predictable, transparent ecosystem for both domestic and foreign investors. As Vietnam continues its trajectory toward high-income status, the government’s focus has decisively shifted toward institutional reforms that balance stringent regulatory oversight with unprecedented creative freedom for economic stakeholders.
Institutionalizing Party Guidelines and Eradicating Policy Bottlenecks
At the heart of the Prime Minister’s directives during the September session was the absolute necessity of institutionalizing the Party’s strategic orientations fully and promptly. Prime Minister Huong issued a stern warning against bureaucratic inertia, parochial interests, and localized policymaking, insisting that all forms of departmental bias and group-interest lobbying be entirely purged from the legislative drafting process.
The premier stressed that regulatory frameworks must be crafted with precision, striking a delicate balance between rigorous state management and the empowerment of developmental spaces. By institutionalizing stricter control over the abuse of state power in lawmaking, the government aims to close regulatory loopholes that historically fostered administrative red tape. Furthermore, the Prime Minister mandated a significant reduction in administrative procedures, investment barriers, and regulatory compliance costs. The overarching philosophy demands the elimination of outdated "ask-and-give" (xin-cho) mechanisms, which have long been identified as breeding grounds for inefficiency and potential corruption.
This legislative cleanup is closely tied to the broader decentralization and devolution agenda. However, the government made it explicitly clear that decentralizing power must be coupled with adequate resource allocation, robust accountability, and strict mechanisms for inspection, supervision, and impact assessment. Law enforcement and implementation capacity are to be treated with equal weight to statutory drafting, ensuring that laws passed in the national legislature translate into immediate, positive impacts on the ground.
Transforming the Land Law and Real Estate Market Transparency
A major pillar of the legislative review focused on sweeping amendments to the Land Law, Housing Law, and the Law on Real Estate Business. Given the critical role that land and real estate play in Vietnam’s macro-economy, the Prime Minister called for the complete institutionalization of key principles and long-term directions outlined in Central Resolution No. 21.
To foster a transparent, efficient real estate market, the government prioritized the rapid development and integration of a nationwide digital land database. Officials noted that modernizing land data will drastically accelerate market transactions, reduce verification times, and minimize opportunities for land speculation. Complementing these technological upgrades is a rigorous review of administrative decentralization, strictly adhering to the "one-stop-shop" principle to streamline investor access.
In discussions regarding the revised Housing Law, the administration instructed drafting committees to actively incorporate feedback from ordinary citizens and corporate stakeholders. Key areas of refinement include defining clear leasehold periods for apartment buildings, diversifying rental housing models, and establishing robust financial mechanisms to support low-income buyers. To curb speculative bubbles and runaway pricing, the Ministry of Construction has been tasked with introducing stringent criteria and price caps, alongside exploring mechanisms where the State can repurchase commercial housing projects from developers who fail to complete them.
Similarly, the Law on Real Estate Business is undergoing critical revisions to transform the sector into a public, transparent platform for land distribution. The law will introduce sharper definitions to identify and penalize speculative manipulation, tighten business entry conditions, and mandate standardized data-sharing protocols across all real estate transactions.
Criminal Procedure and Institutional Alignment
Beyond economic laws, the thematic session addressed complex structural adjustments within the judicial system, specifically reviewing amendments to the Law on the Organization of Criminal Investigation Bodies. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of ensuring absolute harmony between this specialized statute and the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and other related legal instruments.
The draft law must explicitly define the jurisdiction, conditions, procedural steps, and accountability frameworks governing the delegation of authority between heads of investigative agencies, deputy heads, and senior investigators. Particular attention was directed toward clarifying the operational roles of commune-level police chiefs and deputy chiefs, ensuring that localized law enforcement capabilities are legally sound, operationally efficient, and strictly bound by constitutional checks and balances.
Safeguarding Macroeconomic Stability, Energy Security, and Taxation
Transitioning from legislative frameworks to immediate socioeconomic management, Prime Minister Huong addressed pressing macroeconomic concerns, directing ministries to maintain macroeconomic stability, control inflation, and safeguard vital economic balances.
A central directive of the meeting involved the proactive resolution of lingering bottlenecks affecting the manufacturing and business sectors. The Prime Minister urged financial regulators to make public and transparent the upcoming corporate income tax reforms slated for parliamentary review later this year. Clear, predictable tax policies are viewed as essential tools for boosting corporate confidence and encouraging long-term business investments.
Energy security also occupied a prominent place on the agenda. With domestic power and fuel demands projected to scale up through the remainder of the year, the government mandated strict monitoring of petroleum and electricity supply chains. Authorities were instructed to prepare a comprehensive restructuring plan for the national energy sector, specifically targeting Vietnam Electricity (EVN). This strategic overhaul aims to cut intermediate operational layers, streamline energy distribution, and elevate the overall quality and reliability of power supplies nationwide.
Broader Economic Implications and Next Steps
The legislative review session marks a critical milestone in Vietnam’s ongoing transition toward a modern, rule-based socialist-oriented market economy. By addressing legislative redundancies, empowering local authorities, and enforcing institutional accountability, the government is laying the groundwork for sustainable, long-term growth.
The outcomes of this thematic session will be synthesized and integrated into the final legislative packages submitted to the 16th National Assembly during its upcoming second session. As lawmakers prepare to debate these transformative bills, the overarching message from the executive branch remains clear: Vietnam’s future legislative framework must serve as an active catalyst for innovation, safeguarding public and private interests while cementing the nation’s position as a competitive, transparent destination for regional and global capital.
