On the afternoon of October 27, 2026, in Hanoi, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) jointly organized a consultation conference to discuss the findings of a comprehensive review of the legal system and to propose solutions for its improvement. Nguyen Thi Duyen, President of the Vietnam Engineering Consultant Association (VECAS), attended the conference and delivered a presentation.

Mr Cao Xuan Thao, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, stated that various government agencies and ministries have recently conducted a comprehensive review of the legal system—within their respective scopes of responsibility—and finalized reports on their findings, along with recommendations for future improvements. He emphasized that this conference serves as a consultative forum for organizations, experts, scholars, associations, the business community, and other affected stakeholders to provide input. This ensures that the evaluation of the agencies’ review findings is objective, comprehensive, and grounded in practical reality—ultimately helping to fully identify shortcomings, limitations, contradictions, overlaps, and instances where legal provisions prove unfeasible.

During the conference, the President of the Vietnam Engineering Consultant Association noted that the Association had examined several reports relevant to its field of activity. She expressed agreement with the observation made by Dau Anh Tuan that the reports primarily focus on constitutionality, legality, alignment with the Communist Party’s guidelines, and statistical data regarding legal documents—as well as the associated advantages and challenges—yet lack in-depth analysis or detailed appendices. It is understandable that ministries and sectors face significant pressure to complete reports within a short timeframe. However, addressing the underlying issues requires more detailed information. The Association would like to highlight a practical example to urge ministries and sectors to consider the coherence of the entire legal system when drafting new regulations.

Specifically, the Law on Construction (Law No. 135) took effect on July 1, 2026, introducing numerous new provisions that replace previous regulations. Yet, according to feedback from VECAS’ members, as of early October 2026, not a professional practice license for individuals in the construction sector has been issued—a task that had been carried out for decades by the Departments of Construction. Under Decree 212/2026/NĐ-CP—which governs construction capacity requirements, information systems, and the national database on construction activities—the authority to issue professional practice certificates is assigned to provincial-level People’s Committees. These Committees may, based on local circumstances, delegate or authorize this task to other entities in accordance with the laws on local government organization. Nevertheless, three months after the Law on Construction came into effect, such delegation has yet to be implemented in several localities. This serves as an example of shortcomings in the execution process, even though the task itself is not new and has been performed for many years.

Given these specific issues, the Association proposes that for matters that have long been managed effectively but lack clear legal provisions or consistent implementation, the law should explicitly assign responsibility to specific agencies. This would avoid time-consuming processes regarding delegation or authorization; alternatively, the law should stipulate a clear deadline by which such delegation or authorization must be completed, ensuring that operations remain uninterrupted.

Concluding the conference, Vice Chairman Cao Xuan Thao emphasized that the review of the legal framework must prioritize quality and include a comprehensive assessment of existing practical shortcomings and obstacles. The objective is to resolve these issues, thereby safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of citizens and businesses. All feedback, proposals, and recommendations presented at the conference will be consolidated by the advisory bodies of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and submitted to the National Assembly, the Government, and other relevant authorities.

* Ms Nguyen Thi Duyen – VECAS’s President speaks at Conference