The Government has issued a Resolution to reduce and amend conditional business investment sectors, publishing a new list of 142 sectors. This represents a reduction of about 30% from the 198 sectors previously regulated under Appendix IV of Investment Law 143/2025.

This reduction follows principles designed to eliminate conditions not essential for national defense, security, social order and safety, social ethics, or public health. The government aims to shift these sectors towards post-inspection, utilizing technical standards, technical regulations, or professional standards rather than requiring pre-licensing. Management agencies will also amend or remove conditional business sectors that are unclear, overlapping, already controlled by other management tools, or have never had specific business conditions issued.

Despite the cuts, the list retains sectors with significant impact on security, finance, public health, and social order. These include: securities, insurance, gold, petroleum, air transport, real estate, telecommunications services, medical examination and treatment, higher education activities, K-12 education, legal practice, notary, and judicial expertise. Additionally, many sectors related to defense, security, energy, banking, chemicals, food safety, technical inspection, transport and logistics, crypto assets, and personal data processing remain conditional business investment sectors.

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft prepares for takeoff at Da Nang International Airport, 6/12/2023. Photo: Nguyen Dong.

The Resolution mandates that ministers and heads of ministerial-level agencies issue technical standards, technical regulations, or professional standards for reduced sectors where necessary. Concurrently, ministries must establish post-inspection management processes by 1/7. The Ministry of Science and Technology will coordinate with ministries to develop and issue technical regulations, ensuring their effectiveness aligns with the Resolution.

The drafting of related legal documents will follow streamlined procedures. For sectors removed from the list, organizations and individuals can continue to use existing licenses or investment/business approvals until their expiration date.

The Resolution is effective from 1/7/2026 until 28/2/2027.

By Phuong Dung