Hanoi (VNA) – The Presidential Office on December 20 afternoon announced the President’s order to publicise nine new laws and one ordinance that were passed by the 15th National Assembly at its eighth session.
Announced were the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Pharmacy, the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Health Insurance, the Law on Justice for Minors, the Law on the People's Air Defence, and the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Officers of the Vietnam People's Army.
Several others that were promulgated include the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Planning, Law on Investment, Law on Public-Private Partnership and Law on Bidding; the Law on Public Investment; the Law on Electricity; and the Law on Geology and Minerals.
Meanwhile, the announced ordinance is the one on litigation expenses that was passed by the NA Standing Committee at its 40th session.
The law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy takes effect from July 1, 2025. It includes new regulations on State pharmaceutical policies and pharmaceutical industry development, diversification of the systems and methods for trading and distribution of drugs and medicinal ingredients. It also regulates the reduction and simplification of business conditions and administrative procedures, decentralisation enhancement, and the management of export and import of drugs and medicinal ingredients in accordance with current development and international practices.
The law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Health Insurance also takes effects from July 1, 2025, reflecting efforts in reforming medical examination and treatment procedures, and boosting information technology application. It also aims to maximise decentralisation, creating convenience for people, agencies and organisations; ensure gender equality and comply with international conventions to which Vietnam is a party.
The Law on Justice for Minors consists of 10 chapters with 179 articles, effective from January 1, 2026.
The law stipulates 16 humane and progressive principles specifically designed to protect minors in criminal justice; 12 diversion measures; 10 preventive measures; and two separate procedural processes for minors, including those who are accused, recommended for prosecution, detained in emergencies, or charged; as well as victims and witnesses. It also reforms the sentences applied to minors in a more humane and progressive manner.
The Ordinance on Litigation Expenses consists of 12 chapters with 73 articles, effective from July 1, 2025. It regulates certain procedural costs; advances on procedural costs; payment responsibilities; obligations to bear procedural costs; and the funding for procedural costs as stipulated by the Criminal Procedure Code, the Civil Procedure Code, the Administrative Procedure Law, and the Organisation of People's Courts Law.
The law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Officers of the Vietnam People's Army comprises three articles and took effect from December 1, 2024.
Notably, the law raises the maximum age for active-duty officers according to military ranks. It does not differentiate the service age between male and female officers, and also not stipulate the roadmap for raising the maximum service age for female officers holding the rank of Colonel, which aligns with the reality.
Meanwhile, the 2024 People's Air Defence Law will take effect from July 1, 2025, consisting of seven chapters and 47 articles. It aims to create a common legal framework for the development, mobilisation, and organisation of people's air defence activities; manage activities related to unmanned aerial vehicles and other flying devices; ensure air defence safety; and enhance the effectiveness of the legal system on air defence. This aims to help with building a comprehensively strong all people's national defence, promoting the collective strength of the country to firmly protect Vietnam's airspace, and maintaining a peaceful environment, political stability, and social order for socioeconomic development.
The law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Planning, Law on Investment, Law on Public-Private Partnership and Law on Bidding will take effect from January 15, 2025.
It aims to promptly resolve institutional obstacles, overcome bottlenecks, and create space for development; enhance decentralisation and radically reform administrative procedures to facilitate businesses. The law looks to foster reforms in administrative procedures and promote decentralisation to empower localities to decide, implement and take responsibility.
The Public Investment Law will take effect from January 1, 2025, specifying five major policy groups. These include institutionalising pilot and special mechanisms and policies approved by the NA; enhancing decentralisation and delegation of authority; improving the quality of investment preparation, leveraging resources and localities and state-owned enterprises' capacity of implementing public investment projects; promoting the implementation and disbursement of ODA and foreign capital plans; and simplifying procedures, adding and clarifying concepts, terms, and regulations to ensure consistency within the legal system.
The Electricity Law consists of nine chapters with 81 articles, effective from February 1, 2025. Notably, it consists of new regulations regarding renewable energy and new energies.
The 2024 Geology and Minerals Law is built around five key policies. These include policies on geological resources, minerals, basic geological surveys, mineral geological surveys, and geological and mineral information and data; perfecting policies for the protection of geological and mineral resources, along with geological and mineral strategies and planning; refining policies for mineral areas; managing mineral exploration and exploitation; and minerals and geology.
The law will take effect from July 1, 2025. However, for minerals of Group IV, it will take effect from January 15, 2025, to resolve bottlenecks related to usage./.
