Notable documents of Vietnam in the previous week (from February 24 to March 2, 2025)

1. Vietnam’s Law on Local Government Organization 2025 to be effective from March 1, 2025 

On February 19, 2025, the National Assembly of Vietnam approved the Law on Local Government Organization 2025, effective as of March 1, 2025. 

According to the Law, administrative divisions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam include: 

(1) Provinces and centrally affiliated cities (provincial level); 

(2) Districts, district-level towns, and district-level cities (district level); 

(3) Communes, wards, and commune-level towns (commune level); 

(4) Special economic-financial units established by the National Assembly of Vietnam. 

Depending on the geographical conditions, population, and requirements for social-economic development and national defense and security assurance, district-level administrative divisions in islands and archipelagos (islands) may choose not to organize commune-level administrative divisions. 

According to the Law, the classification of administrative divisions is as follows:  

- The classification of administrative divisions is the ground for forming socio-economic development policies and developing the organizational apparatuses, benefits, and policies for officials of local governments in conformity with each administrative division type. 

- The classification of administrative divisions shall be based on the criteria concerning population scale, natural area, socio-economic development qualifications, and specific elements of each administrative division type in urban areas, rural areas, mountainous areas, highlands, and islands according to the regulations of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam. 

See more details in the Law on Local Government Organization 2025, which replaces the Law on Local Government Organization 2015.

2. Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam’s organizational structure from March 1, 2025

On February 21, 2025, the Government of Vietnam promulgated Decree No. 25/2025/ND-CP on functions, tasks, entitlements, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam. 

According to the Decree, the organizational structure of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam includes:  

(1)  Organization and Personnel Administration.

(2) Local Administration Department.

(3) Department of State Employees and Servants.

(4) Department of Non-Governmental Organization.

(5) Administrative Reform Department.

(6) Department of Youth Affairs and Gender Equality.

(7)  International Cooperation Department.

(8) Department of Personnel and Organization.

(9) Department of Legislation.

(10) Department of Planning and Finance.

(11) Ministry Inspectorate.

(12) Ministry Office.

(13) State Records Management and Archives Agency.

(14) Department of Salary and Social Insurance. 

(15) Department of Employment. 

(16) Overseas Labor Agency. 

(17) Department of Meritorious Persons. 

(18) Central Emulation-Commendation Committee. 

(19) Information Technology Center. 

(20)  Institute on State Organizational Sciences and Labor.

(21)  State Organization and Labor Journal. 

(22) Dan Tri Newspaper.

Units prescribed from (1) through (18) are administrative organizations assisting the Minister in state management; units prescribed from (19) through (22) are public service providers serving the state management function of the Ministry. 

The Minister of Home Affairs of Vietnam shall promulgate decisions on functions, tasks, entitlements, and organizational structure of units of the Ministry and present decisions on the list of other public service providers of the Ministry to the Prime Minister of Vietnam as per regulation. 

See more details in Decree No. 25/2025/ND-CP, which comes into force as of March 1, 2025 and replaces Decree No. 62/2022/ND-CP and Decree No. 63/2022/ND-CP.

3. Ministry of Finance of Vietnam’s organizational structure from March 1, 2025

On February 24, 2025, the Government of Vietnam promulgated Decree No. 29/2025/ND-CP on functions, tasks, entitlements, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam. 

The Ministry of Finance of Vietnam’s organizational structure is as follows:  

(1) National Economic Synthesis Department (3 divisions). 

(2) State Budget Department (4 divisions). 

(3) Department of Investment (4 divisions). 

(4) Department of Finance - Industry Economy (4 divisions). 

(5) Department of National Defence, Security, and Special Forces (Department I)

(6) Department of Local and Territorial Economy (4 divisions). 

(7) Department of Planning Management.

(8) Department of Financial Institutions (4 divisions). 

(9) Department of Organisation and Personnel (6 divisions). 

(10) Department of Legal Affairs (4 divisions). 

(11) Ministerial Inspectorate.

(12) Office. 

(13) Department of Debt Management and Foreign Economy. 

(14) Department of Property Management.

(15) Department of Bidding Management.

(16) Department of Tax, Fee and Charge Policy Management, and Supervision. 

(17) Department of Insurance Management and Supervision. 

(18) Department of Management, Supervision of Accounting, and Auditing.

(19) Department of Price Management. 

(20) Department of State-owned Enterprise Development.

(21) Department of Private Enterprise Development and Collective Economy.

(22) Foreign Investment Agency.

(23) Department of Planning and Finance. 

(24) Department of IT and Digital Transformation.

(25) Tax Department.

The Tax Department shall be organized and operated under 3 levels: Tax Department (12 units); 20 regional Tax Sub-departments; 350 inter-district tax teams. 

(26) Customs Department.

The Customs Department shall be organized and operated under 3 levels: Customs Department (12 units); 20 regional Customs Sub-departments; 165 customs agencies at/outside border checkpoints. 

(27) State Reserve.

The State Reserve shall be organized and operated under 2 levels: State Reserve (7 units); 15 regional State Reserve Sub-departments (with up to 171 warehouses). 

(28) Department of Statistics.

The Department of Statistics shall be organized and operated under 3 levels: Department of Statistics (14 units); 60 Sub-departments of Statistics; 480 inter-district teams of statistics. 

(29) State Treasury.

The State Treasury shall be organized and operated under 2 levels: State Treasury (10 units); 20 State Treasury Authorities (with up to 350 transaction offices). 

(30) State Securities Commission. 

(31) Institute of Economic and Financial Strategy and Policy.

(32) Finance - Investment Newspaper.

(33) Economics - Finance Magazine. 

(34) Academy of Policy and Development.

(35) Vietnam Social Security. 

Vietnam Social Security shall be organized and operated under 3 levels: Vietnam Social Security (14 units); 35 regional Social Security Authorities; 350 inter-district Social Security Authorities.  

Units prescribed from (1) through (30) are administrative organizations assisting the Minister in state management; units prescribed from (31) through (34) are public service providers; organizations prescribed in (35) are specific units of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam. 

Decree No. 29/2025/ND-CP comes into force as of March 1, 2025. 

4. Vietnam’s regulations on certificates of e-signatures from April 10, 2025 

On February 21, 2025, the Government of Vietnam promulgated Decree No. 23/2025/ND-CP on e-signatures and trust services. 

According to the Decree, e-signature certificates are classified as follows: 

- Original e-signature certificates of providers of national e-certification services are e-signature certificates issued by providers of national e-certification services to themselves corresponding to each trust service type. 

- E-signature certificates of trust service providers are e-signature certificates issued by providers of national e-certification services to trust service providers corresponding to each trust service type, including e-signature certificates for timestamp provision services, e-signature certificates for data message certification services, and e-signature certificates for public e-signature certification services. 

- Public e-signature certificates are e-signature certificates issued by providers of public e-signature certification services to subscribers. 

- Specialized e-signature certificates are e-signature certificates issued by agencies and organizations creating specialized e-signatures. 

See more details in Decree No. 23/2025/ND-CP, effective as of April 10, 2025. 

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