Perfecting the electricity price calculation mechanism through amending Decree 72/2025/ND-CP

(Chinhphu.vn) - The Ministry of Industry and Trade has just completed the Draft Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 72/2025/ND-CP dated March 28, 2025 of the Government on the mechanism and time for adjusting average retail electricity prices. The draft aims to supplement reasonable and valid costs that have not been calculated before, removing difficulties for EVN and ensuring national energy security.

Báo Chính Phủ•17/08/2025

Hoàn thiện cơ chế tính giá điện trong qua sửa đổi Nghị định 72/2025/NĐ-CP- Ảnh 1. — The draft Decree replacing Decree 72 aims to supplement reasonable and legitimate costs that were not previously accounted for, alleviate difficulties for EVN, and ensure national energy security - Illustration image.

Previously, on August 15, 2025, the Government Office issued Official Letter No. 3673 conveying the Prime Minister's directive, assigning the Ministry of Industry and Trade to chair and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to develop and propose to the Government a Decree amending and supplementing Decree No. 72/2025/ND-CP using a simplified procedure.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade , the implementation of Decree 72/2025 has contributed to increased transparency, timeliness, and convenience in calculating and adjusting electricity prices. However, in practice, some aspects remain incomplete, particularly the calculation and allocation of reasonable and legitimate costs that have not been included in electricity prices. This has caused difficulties for the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) in balancing its finances and preserving and developing state capital within the enterprise.

According to EVN's report, during the 2022-2023 period, due to geopolitical fluctuations and rising fuel prices, the company recorded accumulated losses of approximately VND 50,029 billion; by the end of 2024, this figure still stood at around VND 44,792 billion. Without a mechanism to recover costs promptly through electricity pricing, the preservation of state capital invested in EVN will be affected.

The draft Decree amending and supplementing the previous Decree focuses on adjusting point g, clause 2, Article 4. Accordingly, direct costs for electricity production and supply that were not fully accounted for in the previous average retail electricity price will be considered for allocation. This will be based on the results of business operations and independently audited financial statements from 2022 onwards. If necessary, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will seek the opinion of the Ministry of Finance to agree on a plan.

Furthermore, the draft also adds a mechanism for handling exchange rate differences from revaluation and unrecorded exchange rate differences paid to power plants under power purchase agreements. The new regulations aim to ensure that all reasonable and legitimate costs are reflected promptly in electricity prices, increasing transparency and aligning with the Electricity Law of 2024.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade affirms that the amendment of Decree 72/2025 aims to improve the mechanism for adjusting electricity prices, ensuring compliance with the Electricity Law and related legal documents. At the same time, the new regulations will help electricity enterprises recover reasonable costs, maintain stable production and business operations, and contribute to ensuring national energy security.

The draft Decree does not create additional administrative procedures; it only clarifies the scope of costs that are allowed to be included in electricity prices, ensuring the principles of transparency, openness, and feasibility in implementation.

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