Vietnam’s new draft law on Public-Private Partnerships takes inspiration from legal frameworks around the world and provides an opening to satisfy the country’s growing demand for infrastructure investment.The Draft Law’s provisions on viability gap funding, risk-sharing, and project-financing are all laudable improvements compared to the current situation.

Decree 15 offers detailed instructions on the implementation of the Law on Vocational Education and Training. It sets out requirements that need to be met before a project of vocational institution could be launched by a foreign investor. Decree 15 is expected to attract foreign investment in the vocational training.

Decree 13 provides strong incentives to invest in the science and high-tech sectors in Vietnam by simplifying the procedure and providing preferential treatment for investors. The incentives are related to tax, and loans. Decree 13 is expected to accelerate research and development activities.

Following the entering into force of Decree 108 in October last year, Circular 2 now introduces new templates for registration of a business. All 89 templates are renewed. Furthermore, it provides for some changes related to the legal basis for the procedure related to the registration and to the relevant authority.

The CPTPP provides a strong, rules-based framework through which to grow investment relations with key Asia-Pacific economies. Quan Phan, senior associate of ACSV Legal Vietnam, outlines how the CPTPP benefits investors, and the terms and conditions to ensure that investment procedures will be easier and more transparent for foreign investors.

Circular 17 will ensure that companies are taking an active approach towards their compliance with labour laws and correlatively, employer obligations and employee rights. It provides guidelines on the scope, timing and reporting. Employers are required to implement solutions to improve if the self-inspection shows this.

Vietnam has an encouraging opportunity to move away from its reliance on foreign coal and develop its own modern renewable energy system free from pollution of its air, waterways, and agricultural land. Decision No. 39/2018/QD-TTg is expected to have a positive impact as a more commercially viable feed-in tariff was introduced.

Decree 148 provides a much needed simplification of the current employment framework. It contains provisions on the period that counts for the severance allowance, the disciplinary hearing, settlement time in case of mutual termination; and what needs to be in the labour contract.

A draft law amending several articles of the Law on Investment and the Law on Enterprises has been published for public comments. The amendments are expected to be adopted and come into effect in 2019. It is predicted that the scope of changes will not detrimentally affect an investment project. Notable is also that the time to fulfil the capital contribution requirements will be lengthened considerably.

Under the Law on Social Insurance of end 2014 it would also apply to foreign employees as of 1 January 2018. Decree 143 gives the long-awaited guidance about the scope of the Law on Social Insurance. The application will be implemented in two steps. The first part enters into force in 2018 and the second per 2022.

Decree 119 gives information related to the introduction of e-invoices in Vietnam. By 1 November 2020 companies are required to use the e-invoice and cannot use paper VAT invoices anymore.

Decree 140 addresses issues related to work permits and work permit exemption for foreigners working in Vietnam. It eases the requirements for foreign employees as more persons are exempted, fewer documents need to be submitted and the necessity to submit a labour usage plan for certain foreign employees is removed.