Hanoi (VNA) – A raft of new laws, decrees and circulars across finance, environment, competition and trade will take effect from May, marking a significant step in strengthening Vietnam’s legal framework, enhancing transparency and supporting sustainable business growth.
The revised Law on Deposit Insurance, which will effective May 1, provides a stronger legal foundation to protect depositors and safeguard the banking system.
The law defines the deposit insurance agency as a non-profit State financial institution, allowing it to take a more active role in handling weak credit institutions through special lending, bond purchases and governance. Notably, the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam is authorised to set flexible payout limits, including full coverage of deposits in exceptional cases - an important move to strengthen public confidence and crisis response capacity.
Alongside financial safeguards, regulatory discipline in corporate restructuring and bankruptcy is being tightened under Decree No. 109/2026/ND-CP, effective May 18.
The decree introduces stricter penalties, up to 40 million VND (1,518 USD) for individuals and double for organisations, for violations such as obstructing bankruptcy filings, failing to declare insolvency or concealing assets. Additional remedial measures, including restoring original asset conditions, are expected to improve transparency and protect creditors’ rights.
Competition enforcement is also strengthened under Decree No. 102/2026/ND-CP, effective May 20, which raises fines for violations related to economic concentration. Penalties now range from 500 million to 2 billion VND, depending on enterprise size, while authorities are empowered to impose corrective measures such as divestment or transaction controls, reinforcing oversight of mergers and acquisitions.
In the environmental sphere, Decree No. 110/2026/ND-CP, effective May 25, operationalises extended producer responsibility (EPR), requiring manufacturers and importers to meet mandatory recycling rates for products and packaging. While some exemptions apply, the policy is expected to expand in scope, including road vehicles from 2027, contributing to waste reduction and the development of a circular economy.
Support mechanisms for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are also being refined. Decision No. 12/2026/QD-TTg, effective May 15, revises the loan guarantee framework, standardising interest rate calculations for guaranteed loans based on benchmarks provided by the State Bank of Vietnam and applied by the Vietnam Development Bank. The update enhances transparency and aligns financial support with evolving market conditions.
In trade, new rules of origin under the ASEAN – the Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement (Circular No. 49/2025/TT-BCT) take effect from May 1, introducing flexible pre-verification mechanisms that allow businesses to validate origin before export and reuse results for future shipments, cutting costs and processing time. Complementing this, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is accelerating digitalisation of certificate of origin (C/O) procedures via the eCoSys platform (available at www.ecosys.gov.vn), reducing processing time to as little as six working hours.
Further facilitating trade, Circular No. 14/2026/TT-BCT, effective May 10, refines rules of origin under the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The updated framework expands the use of self-certification, particularly for low-value shipments, helping businesses simplify procedures, lower compliance costs and better utilise tariff preferences when accessing European markets./.
