Many artists show signs of violating Decree 93

As previously reported, singer Dan Truong sparked controversy when he called for donations using a personal bank account under the name “PHAM DAN TRUONG”.

When questioned by fans, he responded in a tense manner. After two days of calling for donations, he released bank statements and explained that he used a personal account because the campaign was “small, simple and meant to be friendly with fans.”

Around the same time, on her verified personal fanpage, singer Duong Hong Loan urged fans to donate to an account named “TRAN THI KIM NGAN.” After two days, the total amount raised was VND46 million and $200 (VND5.2 million).

In this case, Duong Hong Loan called for donations for another individual. She did not make the bank statements public, instead posting a manually compiled list of contributions, a method that does not ensure transparency.

Similarly, “Calendar Photo Queen” Hien Mai continuously posted donation calls for an account named “CLB Doanh Nhan Khanh Hoa – Sai Gon,” updating contributions using manual lists instead of releasing bank statements. The total amount has reached VND768 million.

Reporters have also recorded some social media celebrities appealing for charitable donations with signs of non-transparency.

Another fairly common case is organizing a fundraising concert that does not meet the conditions stipulated in Decree 93/2021/ND-CP.

No excuse for violations

Lawyer Hoang Ha (HCMC Bar Association) said that since Decree 93/2021/ND-CP took effect, all voluntary charity activities must operate within a legal framework.

When an individual calls for and receives donations from others, a civil relationship is established and regulated by law.

Therefore, the reasons celebrities often cite, such as small scale, only calling close fans, posting in private groups/personal pages, or being abroad, are not valid grounds for exemption from transparency obligations.

For individuals calling for donations, he summarized Article 17 into three easy-to-remember steps.

First, they must open a separate bank account for each charity campaign, the most significant change compared to the pre-2021 period.

Second, they must publicly announce the purpose, target beneficiaries, location, timeline and other details; and notify the local commune or ward People’s Committee where the charity work will take place.

Third, after the campaign ends, they must close the account, obtain bank statements and publish them widely.

Ha also reminded that fundraisers must follow the spending commitments they announced. For example, if they initially said the money would be used to buy instant noodles, they cannot unilaterally change to building a house or giving cash. If they want to change the purpose, they must notify the donors.

Additionally, organizers cannot arbitrarily deduct logistical expenses.

“If you clearly state from the beginning that ‘a portion of the funds will be used for fuel, meals, storage, labor costs…,’ then you can do so, as long as you specify how much will be deducted and for what. But if you promise ‘100 percent of the funds will reach the recipients,’ then you must pay all logistical expenses yourself, i.e you cannot use even 1 VND from the donated money,” he said.

Furthermore, under Article 18 of Decree 93/2021/ND-CP, the distribution of money and goods must be based on official lists or coordinated with local authorities. Fundraisers cannot arbitrarily hand out money or goods to anyone they choose.

Finally, if any donated funds remain unused, the organizer is not allowed to keep the money. Lawyer Hoang Ha recommends notifying donors to either transfer the remainder to another charity program or send it to reputable charity or relief funds.

According to lawyer Hoang Ha, in the past, the process of visiting the bank, taking queue numbers and signing stacks of papers to open an account was a barrier for many individuals doing charity work.

However, today, most banks in Vietnam allow users to open accounts online through mobile apps.

In reality, it takes only about 3–5 minutes to create a new account by scanning an ID card and completing facial verification. Even those abroad can do so with international roaming and Vietnamese identification documents.

Individuals can also create additional sub-accounts within the same banking app. Many banks allow custom account names such as “DANTRUONG-MIENTRUNG2025” or “UNGHO-LULUT-DAKLAK.”

“This method is both legal and professional, giving donors more confidence. After the charity campaign ends, you can close or lock the account directly in the app so it returns to zero balance, which is very simple,” he noted.

Tinh Le