The Law on Digital Technology Industry was passed by the 15th National Assembly on June 14, 2025 and will take effect from January 1, 2026 (some articles from July 1, 2025), marking a historical milestone, marking a strategic step forward, gradually turning Vietnam into a global digital technology center.
The Law has institutionalized Resolution 57-NQ/TW, Resolution 59-NQ/TW, Resolution 66-NQ/TW, Resolution 68-NQ/TW of the Politburo, creating a strong legal corridor, promoting innovation, enhancing competitiveness and promoting digital transformation, developing the digital economy quickly, strongly and sustainably.
At the regular press conference in June 2025 of the Ministry of Science and Technology , Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich - Director of the Department of Information Technology Industry pointed out the outstanding values and main highlights of the Law on Digital Technology Industry.
Outstanding Values of the Digital Technology Industry Law
The Law on Digital Technology Industry has comprehensively regulated the fields of digital technology industry, semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital assets, creating a synchronous legal foundation for the development of cutting-edge digital technology industries. With detailed regulations on AI and digital asset management, Vietnam has become a pioneer in building a transparent legal framework for the digital technology industry, ensuring safety, network security and user rights.
To make the digital technology industry a key economic driver with a growth rate 2-3 times higher than GDP, the Law provides outstanding incentives for key projects in the fields of digital technology, semiconductors, AI, and data centers.
For example: Projects with capital of VND6,000 billion or more enjoy a 5% tax rate for 37 years, a 6-year tax exemption, a 50% tax reduction for the next 13 years, and a land rent exemption for up to 22 years and a 75% reduction for the remaining years. Enterprises receive financial support from the budget, the Development Investment Fund, and are allowed to calculate R&D costs up to 200% of actual costs for calculating corporate income tax. Concentrated digital technology zones and innovative startup projects enjoy similar incentives to particularly difficult areas, creating a strong driving force for digital technology enterprises.
The Law also clearly affirms the principle of "self-reliance and self-reliance in digital technology and strategic digital technology" as the foundation for the development of the digital technology industry, emphasizing the requirement to promote research, master technology, design, and manufacture of domestic digital technology products and services.
The law codifies the “Make in Vietnam” program, prioritizing the use of Vietnamese digital technology products in state budget projects, ensuring a stable output market. Startups are supported with funding to purchase technology, develop prototypes, and promote international trade. FDI enterprises are encouraged to transfer technology, cooperate with Vietnamese digital technology enterprises, improve production capacity and global competitiveness.
The law focuses on developing digital technology human resources with policies to support training, provide scholarships, preferential credit for learners, and build an online teaching platform. High-quality digital technology industry human resources are exempted from personal income tax for 5 years, granted 5-year visas for foreign experts, along with a competitive salary and bonus mechanism. Digital technology talents are supported with a working environment, finance for R&D, and honored, rewarded, and created conditions to attract and promote domestic and foreign talents.
Resolution 57-NQ/TW has set the requirement to "Form and develop a number of large-scale domestic strategic digital technology enterprises to develop digital infrastructure, lead national digital transformation and have sufficient international competitiveness." The Law on Digital Technology Industry establishes mechanisms to realize this goal. The State orders enterprises to research and develop key digital technologies, belonging to important national projects, projects with special requirements, and at the same time provides financial support and trade promotion to expand international markets.
Along with developing large digital technology enterprises, the Law also aims to build a strong digital technology industrial enterprise ecosystem with the goal of reaching 150,000 enterprises by 2035. The Law provides comprehensive support policies. Small and medium-sized enterprises are supported with infrastructure investment costs, high-quality human resource training, and priority to participate in bidding for public procurement projects.
The law encourages the development of environmentally friendly digital technology products and services, promotes reuse, recycling, and minimizes environmental impacts. The digital technology ecosystem is built with cooperation between large, small, and supporting enterprises. Digital infrastructure such as AI data centers and 5G networks are prioritized for investment, with the participation of both the state and private enterprises. A controlled testing mechanism (sandbox) to support innovative startups.
Key Highlights of the Digital Technology Industry Law
According to Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich, the Law on Digital Technology Industry marks a turning point for Vietnam to rise up in the digital age, establishing a solid legal framework for the digital technology industry, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital assets.
With outstanding preferential policies, strategies for developing high-quality digital technology human resources, attracting talent, 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 and develop the digital economy.
This is a 'golden opportunity' for Vietnam to create a competitive advantage, support digital technology enterprises to develop sustainably, integrate internationally and move towards affirming its position as a global digital technology center. In particular, Vietnam is the pioneer in being the first country in the world to issue a separate law on the digital technology industry.
According to Mr. Lich, for the first time, the semiconductor industry has been legalized with a strategy to develop specialized chips and link the global supply chain. Semiconductor projects enjoy special incentives, support from auxiliary products, semiconductor product manufacturing to electronic equipment manufacturing. Enterprises are allowed to import used technological lines and receive R&D funding support, aiming to master the technology and raise Vietnam's position in the global semiconductor chain.
The law also establishes the first legal framework for AI, with the principle of human-centeredness, ensuring transparency, safety, and risk control. High-risk and high-impact AI systems are strictly managed in terms of technology, data, and cybersecurity. AI digital technology products must have identification marks, enhancing the responsibility of entities developing, providing, and using AI, promoting the application of AI in the economy and society.
In particular, the development of digital data in digital technology industry activities is stipulated by the Law to become an important resource and means of production, and to turn artificial intelligence into a new production method; to strongly promote the country's endogenous capacity, to create new economic models with outstanding productivity and value. The State has the highest preferential policies to promote research, development, deployment and use of artificial intelligence.
The Law on Digital Technology Industry has defined the legal status of digital assets and digital asset management, including virtual assets and crypto assets, ensuring ownership, transactions, and security. With more than 1/5 of Vietnam's population owning cryptocurrencies (according to Triple-A 2024), this legal framework meets practical needs, encourages the development of strategic blockchain digital technology, and protects users from risks, contributing to the construction of a transparent digital economic ecosystem.
The law also prioritizes investment in essential digital infrastructure such as AI data centers, concentrated digital technology parks, and national laboratories. Enterprises are supported to develop domestic and foreign markets through information provision, supply-demand connection, and promotion of "Make in Vietnam" products. Key digital technology bidding packages are prioritized for direct bidding and ordering, creating opportunities for Vietnamese digital technology enterprises./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nhung-diem-nhan-noi-bat-cua-luat-cong-nghiep-cong-nghe-so-post1046740.vnp
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