Breakthrough under Resolution 57: Investment incentives and development of digital technology industry

Photo caption — Workers of Viettel Construction Branch in Hanoi (Viettel Construction Joint Stock Corporation) connect and install 5G BTS station equipment. Photo: Hoang Hieu/VNA

With outstanding preferential policies, strategies for developing high-quality digital technology industry human resources, attracting talents, building modern digital infrastructure and a synchronous ecosystem, the Law on Digital Technology Industry is not only a specialized law but also a strong institutional lever to promote digital transformation, develop the digital economy, contributing to the effective implementation of Resolution 57 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation. The Ministry of Science and Technology focuses on developing legal documents detailing and guiding the implementation of the Law. Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Head of the Quality Management Department, Department of Information Technology Industry, said that 6 Circulars have been issued by the Ministry to realize the goal of developing Vietnam's digital technology industry ecosystem.

Many incentives on land and corporate income tax

In order to create a big boost for businesses investing in the digital technology industry, the most prominent point of these circulars is the unprecedented preferential commitments.

Specifically, according to Circular 31/2025/TT-BKHCN promulgating the List of key digital technology products and services with 10 key product and service groups, including: artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud computing, quantum computing, big data and a number of other core technology groups, projects to produce products and services including artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and especially semiconductor chip groups (consumer chips, AI chips, IoT chips) will be exempted from all land use fees and land rents.

Circular 32/2025/TT-BKHCN promulgating the List of raw materials, semiconductor materials and equipment, machinery and tools for the semiconductor industry that are encouraged for investment and development also applies similar special policies to projects producing raw materials, semiconductor materials (14 types) and equipment, machinery and tools (18 types) as inputs for the semiconductor industry. Thereby, it aims to promote the production of raw materials, materials and input equipment for the semiconductor industry - important components to form a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem.

Regarding corporate income tax incentives, Circular 33/2025 33/2025/TT-BKHCN stipulates the criteria for enterprises implementing electronic equipment manufacturing projects to enjoy corporate income tax incentives, stipulating a 4-year corporate income tax exemption and a 50% reduction in the tax payable for the next 9 years. For projects over 6,000 billion VND, the Prime Minister decides to extend the tax exemption and tax reduction period to a maximum of 1.5 times the above period.

Enterprises only need to meet one of four criteria to enjoy this incentive, including using semiconductor chips designed, manufactured or packaged, tested in Vietnam; simultaneously meeting the conditions on scientific research, technological development and innovation, including a research and development department with at least 10 employees with university degrees or higher (50% are Vietnamese citizens) and total expenditure on scientific research, technological development and innovation activities of at least 2% of average net revenue. The remaining two criteria are that the products of the electronic equipment manufacturing project in Vietnam have designs owned by the enterprise itself; at least 30% of Vietnamese enterprises participate in the supply chain and carry out technology transfer to domestic organizations and enterprises.

Facilitate research and development

With the goal of providing maximum support to businesses in production and research, Circular 30/2025/TT-BKHCN amends regulations on the import of used machinery. Accordingly, the age of equipment serving the production, packaging, and testing of semiconductor chips is extended to a maximum of 20 years, significantly expanding the previous 10-year limit of Decision 18/2019 on the import of used machinery and equipment lines. In particular, equipment serving training and research and development of digital technology products will not be subject to strict criteria on remaining performance compared to design capacity (85%) or usage period.

Circular 26/2025/TT-BKHCN regulating the import and processing of goods on the List of used information technology products banned from import also loosens regulations, allowing the import of goods on the banned list to serve 3 purposes: special use, scientific research and opens a mechanism for domestic enterprises to process used information technology goods (on the list of banned imports) for foreign traders, on the condition that such products are only consumed abroad and not circulated in Vietnam.

The Circular specifically stipulates cases of permitted import, including: moving production equipment within the same organization; using as control, operating, and testing equipment for systems or production lines; directly serving software production activities, outsourcing business processes, and processing data for foreign partners; being specialized information technology products, re-importing information technology products whose warranties have expired and sent abroad for repair; refurbished products and components for replacement and repair domestically when equivalent types are no longer produced.

Circular 34/2025/TT-BKHCN stipulates digital technology products and services that enjoy incentives in selecting contractors in leasing and purchasing digital technology products and services using state budget capital.

Accordingly, hardware products are given priority if they simultaneously meet two criteria: the product design is owned by a Vietnamese organization, enterprise or individual; the trademark attached to the hardware product must be owned by a Vietnamese organization, enterprise or individual.

Software products only need to meet one of two criteria: product design and development owned by a Vietnamese organization, enterprise or individual; product design and development based on open source code owned by a Vietnamese organization, enterprise or individual.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/dot-pha-theo-nghi-quyet-57-uu-dai-dau-tu-va-phat-trien-cong-nghiep-cong-nghe-so-20251205121121665.htm