Speaking at a National Assembly session this morning during the discussion on the amended Investment Law, lawmaker Le Hoang Anh (Gia Lai) expressed his support for the government’s bold move to eliminate numerous outdated business conditions - aligning with Resolutions 66 and 68.

However, after reviewing the list, he said some sectors remain misclassified. Many are primarily about product standards and technical criteria that don’t necessarily need to be maintained at the legislative level.

He pointed out that the food business group is currently too broad and that specific safety standards are already regulated under specialized laws. He proposed narrowing the legal scope to only include stages with very high risks, and shifting all technical conditions to decrees and national technical regulations to ensure flexibility and relevance.

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Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang. Photo: National Assembly

Regarding e-commerce, Hoang Anh proposed excluding logistics, payment systems, and small platforms from the law’s scope, and only regulating large-scale platforms that manage consumer data.

He also suggested that sectors such as animal feed, aquaculture inputs, environmental treatment products, pesticides, and veterinary drugs should not be classified as conditional at the legal level. Instead, specialized laws and decrees should set the technical conditions, with post-inspection mechanisms and penalties for violations.

Lawmaker Pham Van Hoa (Dong Thap) also recommended a broader review to eliminate more business lines that require licenses - beyond the 25 currently listed in the draft.

He noted that some similar business sectors could be consolidated and managed by their respective ministries. However, he cautioned against removing accounting services from the list of conditional business lines without further consideration.

Shifting toward post-inspection, standards-based regulation

In response, Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said the Prime Minister had tasked his ministry with conducting a thorough review to maximize the reduction of conditional business lines.

The initial draft reported to the National Assembly Standing Committee proposed removing about 25 sectors from the list of conditional business lines - meaning they would no longer require business licenses. These included accounting services, rice exports, and temporary import–re-export of frozen food.

Currently, Vietnamese law requires licensing for 234 business sectors. However, many of these can be regulated through output standards and technical specifications instead.

Following the review, the Ministry of Finance now proposes cutting at least 50 conditional sectors - double the number in the earlier draft. Thang called it “a major effort” and added that the Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Finance to continue working with other ministries to expand the review and propose further reductions.

Once the law takes effect, the government will assign relevant ministries to amend business conditions, transitioning toward a post-inspection approach based on technical standards and regulations. This reform aims to ensure full and consistent protection of citizens' and businesses' right to free enterprise.

During the session, lawmakers also raised concerns about banning the trade of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. In response, Thang said the draft now includes a ban on such products.

The government will also issue transitional regulations for investment projects related to the production of electronic cigarette equipment that were legally approved prior to the implementation of Resolution 173/2024.

As several factories were already operating before the resolution was passed, the minister said the transition clause is necessary. However, no new licenses will be issued after the resolution takes effect.

Thang added that the draft will include new bans on substances like nitrous oxide (N₂O) and other psychoactive agents. The Ministry of Finance will coordinate with the Ministry of Health to define these bans clearly while allowing for specific exemptions where justified.

Tran Thuong