General regulations on electrical safety in Vietnam from February 1, 2025

General regulations on electrical safety in Vietnam from February 1, 2025​ (Image from the internet)

On November 30, 2024, the National Assembly of Vietnam passed the Electricity Law 2024, effective from February 1, 2025.

General regulations on electrical safety in Vietnam from February 1, 2025

Under Article 69 of the Electricity Law 2024, electrical safety in Vietnam from February 1, 2025, is regulated as follows:

(1) Individuals directly involved in the construction, repair, renovation, management, operation of the electrical system, electric works; inspection of electrical equipment, tools, and other work directly related to the electrical system must be trained, examined, and issued an electrical safety card.

(2) Investors of electric works, organizations, units managing, operating, constructing, repairing, renovating electric works and activities using electricity for production are responsible for the following:

- Comply with technical standards and regulations on electrical engineering and electrical safety, and legal provisions on electrical safety;

- Install prohibition signs, warning signs, electrical safety signals, fire safety, traffic safety signals as prescribed by law;

- Organize or hire competent units to provide training, examination, and issue electrical safety cards for workers specified in (1) within the management scope;

- In case of electrical incidents or accidents, immediate measures must be taken to remedy the incident, provide first aid, evacuate people from the dangerous area and promptly report to competent state management agencies;

- Implement policies on electrical safety reporting and violations of the electric works safety protection corridor.

(3) Organizations and individuals manufacturing and trading electrical equipment, tools must be responsible for product quality according to law; provide customers with installation, use, maintenance, and preservation instructions to ensure safety as prescribed.

(4) The use of electricity as a direct protection means is only permitted when other protection measures are ineffective in areas where the use of electric fences is allowed, as stipulated by the Minister of Public Security, Minister of National Defense, and must ensure safety conditions as prescribed by the Minister of Industry and Trade.

(5) The Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam is responsible for issuing technical standards on electrical engineering and electrical safety as stipulated in point a, clause 2 of this Article; regulating safety inspections in power generation, transmission, distribution, and use.

(6) The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam coordinates with related Ministries, sectors, and Provincial People's Committees to develop, submit to the Prime Minister of Vietnam for issuance, and organize the implementation of the National Program on electrical safety in usage.

(7) The Minister of Construction is responsible for regulating electrical system requirements for houses and construction works as prescribed by construction law.

(8) The Provincial People's Committees are responsible for issuing regulations on safety management in the use of electricity in the locality; organizing safety inspections in the use of electricity as stipulated in this Law and other related legal provisions; organizing propaganda, dissemination, guidance to raise awareness for agencies, organizations, individuals using electricity.

(9) The Government of Vietnam provides detailed regulations on (1) and (2).

Grounds for establishing and adjusting electricity prices in Vietnam from February 1, 2025

- The grounds for establishing electricity prices include:

+ Electricity pricing policy;

+ Conditions for national economic and social development;

+ Supply and demand relations for electricity;

+ Reasonable production, business costs, and reasonable profit for the power unit;

+ Competitive electricity market level;

+ Annual audited financial reports of the power unit.

- The adjustment of the average retail electricity prices is regulated as follows:

+ The retail electricity prices reflect and adjust promptly according to actual input parameter fluctuations, offset reasonable, lawful costs with reasonable profits to preserve and develop the business capital of enterprises in line with the economic and social conditions of each period and the competitive electricity market level;

+ When the retail electricity market operates, retail electricity prices will be implemented according to the market mechanism;

(Clauses 1, 2, Article 52 Electricity Law 2024)

More details can be found in the Electricity Law 2024, effective from February 1, 2025.

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