At the heart of these resolutions is a determination to remove institutional barriers that have constrained development momentum. It’s estimated that these 11 resolutions could save more than 870 million USD in annual compliance costs, but their real significance lies in reshaping governance and enabling faster growth.
A shift in governance mindset
Over the past several decades, Vietnam has made remarkable progress through economic opening, international integration, and reform. As Vietnam now enters a new stage of development, some “invisible bottlenecks” are becoming apparent. Overlapping regulations, cumbersome procedures passing through multiple administrative layers, and “sub-licenses” in various forms impose unnecessary costs, delays, and lost market opportunities on businesses. By causing decisions to be delayed, projects to stall, and valuable development opportunities to be missed, these bottlenecks have slowed the entire economy.
The new resolutions signal a shift in governance philosophy, from an “ask-and-give” model to one based on transparency and accountability, and from centralized control to greater decentralization for local governments and grassroots authorities.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has repeatedly urged ministries and agencies to accelerate reform efforts, emphasizing that institutional reform is essential for sustaining economic growth in the coming period.
The Prime Minister said: “We are working directly with ministries and requiring them to implement the Party Central Committee’s conclusions by reducing processing time and compliance costs, and creating a transparent, predictable, and open business environment for enterprises and citizens. This is a critical requirement for promoting production and business activities and achieving double-digit economic growth in the years ahead.”
As a result, hundreds of legal documents have been amended, demonstrating the Government’s strong commitment to building a service-oriented administration centered on citizens and businesses.
Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Tinh said: “50 laws have been revised to eliminate 60 conditional business lines and abolish 158 administrative procedures, alongside many other simplification measures. This is an exceptionally comprehensive reform effort. In less than a month, we’ve already achieved the Government’s targets for reducing and simplifying administrative procedures and conditional business requirements in line with the Prime Minister’s directives.”
Having contributed feedback to the draft resolutions on administrative and business condition reforms, Dau Anh Tuan, Secretary General and Head of the Legal Department of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said: “I’m particularly impressed by the speed of the recent reforms. The requirement to cut business conditions and reform administrative procedures has been implemented in an extremely short timeframe, without delay. Time is now measured in hours rather than days. The determination and sense of urgency is very clear. This reform program is not a one-off campaign, but a long-term and continuous process.”
Unlocking creativity to drive breakthrough development
If the 1986 renewal was a liberation of productive forces, today’s institutional reforms can be seen as a liberation of creative potential, which is increasingly becoming a strategic national resource.
A nation seeking rapid advancement cannot rely solely on traditional advantages. It must create conditions for millions of people to innovate, experiment, and fully realize their capabilities. This is also what the business community has long anticipated.
Lu Nguyen Xuan Vu, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association, said: “The State should manage less than 50% of administrative procedures, while allowing businesses to handle and take responsibility for the remaining procedures themselves. Enterprises that fail to comply with regulations or commitments must be held accountable.”
The development history of many nations shows that when the creative capacity of society is unleashed, development resources multiply rapidly. In an era of intensifying global competition, this may well be one of the most important reforms Vietnam can undertake: unlocking the creative potential of the Vietnamese people to generate breakthrough development in the next phase of growth.
