Reducing business licenses for 38 conditional investment and business sectors.

Fundamental changes to many investment procedures.

Photo caption — Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang speaks. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA

Before voting to approve the bill, the National Assembly heard Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang present a summary report on the acceptance and explanation of the draft law.

Regarding the investment policy approval procedure, the draft Law has narrowed and clarified the scope of projects requiring investment policy approval. Accordingly, investment policy approval is only required for investment projects in certain important and sensitive sectors such as seaports, airports, telecommunications, publishing, journalism, and projects implemented in areas affecting national defense and security.

Regarding investment-incentive sectors, the draft Law has reviewed and regulated conditional investment and business sectors, ensuring compliance with the spirit of Resolution No. 68 and Resolution No. 198. Based on this, the Government has reviewed and reduced 38 conditional investment and business sectors and amended the scope of 20 sectors. Simultaneously, the Government will publish a list of conditional investment and business sectors requiring licensing and certification before investment and business activities commence, and a list of conditional investment and business sectors requiring a shift in management method from licensing and certification to publishing business requirements and conditions for post-inspection management.

Regarding the establishment of economic organizations by foreign investors, the draft Law continues to propose regulations allowing foreign investors to establish businesses before the issuance of investment registration certificates. This is a fundamental reform of investment procedures for foreign investors, improving the investment and business environment. The Government plans to add several provisions to the draft decree to ensure state management and national defense and security, such as regulations on reporting operational status during the period before the investment project is implemented, and regulations requiring compliance with market access requirements from the establishment stage of the economic organization.

Regarding the management of overseas investment activities, the draft Law has simplified overseas investment procedures, abolishing the procedure for approving overseas investment policies and narrowing the scope of projects requiring the issuance of investment certificates for overseas investment registration. The Government will specify in detail the projects that do not require the issuance of investment registration certificates for overseas investment to facilitate investors' expansion into international markets; at the same time, it will study the addition of regulations to ensure foreign exchange management, guaranteeing economic security and national financial safety.

In addition, the Government has reviewed and assessed the necessity of amending and supplementing several articles of the Railway Law in the draft Investment Law (amended) and reviewed to ensure consistency regarding cases of investment approval, regulations prohibiting the business of cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and regulations related to real estate projects.

The revised draft Law on Investment has ensured the full institutionalization of the Party's guidelines and viewpoints, established a complete and synchronized legal framework, contributing to the improvement of the investment and business environment and enhancing the quality of investment attraction.

The authority to approve the investment policy for offshore wind power projects is delegated to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Also during the morning session on December 11th, the National Assembly voted to approve the Resolution on mechanisms and policies for national energy development for the period 2026-2030 with 424 votes in favor, accounting for 89.64% of the total number of National Assembly delegates.

Before voting to approve the resolution, the National Assembly heard Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien present a summary report on the acceptance and explanation of the draft resolution.

Based on the conclusions of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien stated that the drafting agency had closely coordinated with the verification agency and the National Assembly Committees, incorporating as many valid opinions as possible from National Assembly deputies and revising the draft resolution in the following direction: Adjusting the title of the resolution as concluded by the National Assembly Standing Committee; stipulating that adjustments and updates to the plan should meet practical requirements without changing the viewpoints, objectives, and major orientations of the plan, and without increasing the total installed capacity according to the structure of each type of power source.

The regulations delegate the authority to the Prime Minister to approve investment policies and simultaneously approve investors without auctioning land use rights or bidding for investor selection for offshore wind power projects in the 2025-2030 period. The authority to approve investment policies for offshore wind power projects in the 2031-2035 period is also delegated to the Chairpersons of Provincial People's Committees. The scope of participation in the Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) mechanism is expanded to include electricity retailers, avoiding overlapping policies. Furthermore, written opinions are submitted to the drafting agency, the reviewing agency, and relevant laws under consideration at this session, such as the National Reserve Law, the amended Public Debt Management Law, and the mechanisms for handling delayed projects in the Investment Law and the Land Law, to ensure legal consistency.

Furthermore, the draft law incorporates and revises provisions identified as falling under the Government's jurisdiction or subject to flexible changes requiring detailed government regulation. These include specific conditions regarding the financial capacity of enterprises proposing investment approval for offshore wind power projects, small module nuclear power development, mechanisms for handling survey costs, and procedures for preparing, receiving, and handling situations related to offshore wind power project applications.

To avoid creating legal vacuums after the resolution is passed, the Government will issue comprehensive guiding documents, ensuring clear, complete, consistent, and feasible regulations to quickly implement the resolution. It will direct ministries, sectors, and localities to urgently implement the resolution's provisions, promptly address difficulties and obstacles in power generation and grid projects, improve market mechanisms, and promote investment attraction to ensure national energy security in the coming years, meeting the requirements of double-digit socio-economic development and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. It will also strengthen transparency, monitoring of implementation, and promptly report any arising issues to competent authorities, proposing additional solutions if necessary.

The draft resolution, after incorporating feedback and revisions, has been finalized to be more rigorous, consistent with relevant laws, and in line with the spirit of Resolutions 66, 68, and 70 of the Politburo.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/cat-giam-giay-phep-kinh-doanh-cho-38-nganh-nghe-dau-tu-kinh-doanh-co-dieu-kien-20251211104952392.htm