Actively Review and Cut-off Unnecessary Business Conditions

  Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Ministries to research, actively self-review to amend or proposed modifications, cutting business conditions which are not reasonable and unnecessary.

On August 22nd 2017 , under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Government held a legislative session to give comments on the draft law on competition (revised); the draft law amending and supplementing some articles of the law on environmental protection tax; draft law on administrative unit and special economic zones; discuss on the report synthesizing the results of reviews and proposals of ministries and agencies on the drafting of laws to amend and supplement the laws relating to land, construction, housing, business and planning…

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, there are still 4,284 business investment requirements and conditions in 243 industries under the management of 15 ministries, which are regulated in 237 legal normative documents. The Ministry of Planning and Investment proposes to abolish all or part of the business investment conditions in finance, location, production capacity, human resources, business methods, planning…

Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has proposed to abolish 96 conditions of business and amend 13 conditions in 3 sectors: industry, transportation, science and technology.

Regarding the draft law on special administrative and economic units aim to create legal bases for the establishment, development, management and operation of 3 special zones namely Van Don (Quang Ninh), North Van Phong (Khanh Hoa) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).

In terms of the draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Environmental Protection Tax, the Prime Minister emphasized that the role of amending and supplementing this law in the context that environmental regulations violation is complicated. complex. According to the Ministry of Finance – the drafting agency, the current environmental protection tax policy has revealed some obstacles that need to be finalized in order to ensure that this is an important economic tool, contributing to limiting the production and use of goods that pollute the environment, encouraging the use of environmentally friendly goods towards sustainable development.

Commenting on the draft Law on Competition, the Prime Minister said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade should thoroughly review the unfair competition practices so as not to overlap with other laws.

We help clients overcome cultural barriers and achieve their strategic and financial outcomes, while ensuring the best interest rate protection, risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. ANT lawyers have Attorneys in Hanoi, Attorneys in Ho Chi Minh and Attorneys in Da Nang.

Simplifying the Procedure for Foreigner to Reside in Vietnam

  For foreigners wishing to come to Vietnam to work and reside temporarily, they need to either set-up a company in Vietnam or work for others. The owner of the company does not need a work permit but still need to apply for temporary residence card.

However, the foreign employee will need the employer to sponsor the work permit in Vietnam before applying for temporary residence card. A recent draft law on entry, exit and residence of foreigner in Vietnam has been proposed with some changes. The draft regulates many open provisions on entry-exit procedure, temporary and permanent residence conditions for foreigner to reside in Vietnam. ANT Lawyers always follows the new updates about administrative procedures in Vietnam to provide our client with the best service.

The new draft law details conditions for granting the temporary residence card for foreigners working in Vietnam, rising term of this card from 3 year to 5 year. The foreigners’ category expands to scientists and specialists residing in Vietnam for the purpose of attracting international talents, the foreigners who don’t have any type of document proving nationality, and have resided in Vietnam before the year 2000. The foreigners holding temporary residence card must change card per periodically 10 years at the issuing offices. The draft law does not allow the foreigners to change the entry purpose, but allows them to supplement the purpose of belonging persons in some specific cases such as in term of diplomatic representative offices, consulate, international representative office of United Nations and students at universities, colleges, schools.

For more information or requirement of legal services to obtain temporary residence card in Vietnam, we could assist.

What Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is about?

  On Jul 31st, 2015 the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiation ended without a resolution although a great progress has been made. The sad thing is that “they finished the part of the agreement that would raise environmental standards in Vietnam, Malaysia and the other countries in the bloc” according to The Wall Street Journal. It is expected the deal will continue to be worked on in the upcoming future meeting.

US, Japan, Vietnam and 9 other countries hoped to complete the signing of TPP in 2015. If successful, TPP is expected to be a major event occurred to Vietnam in 20 years (from the time Vietnam and the United States decided to normalize relations in 1995).

1. TPP is a free trade agreement between 12 countries with the aim of promoting economic integration in Asia – Pacific area. Twelve members of TPP include Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, the USA and Japan. South Korea, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand and many other countries are planning to participate in TPP. Originally, TPP started from an agreement among Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and Brunei in 2009, before the United States decided to join and lead.

2. The main objectives of TPP are the elimination of taxes and barriers for goods and trading services between member countries.

3. In addition, TPP will also unify laws, common rules between countries, such as intellectual property, food quality or work safety.

4. The current members of TPP accounted for 40% of the world GDP and 26% of global merchandise trade.

5. The United States expects the TPP will be the key point of their new destination in Asia. China has sometimes expressed their intention to join the TPP, but many of TPP’s current provision seem to be designed not to let China have the opportunity to participate in this agreement.

6. TPP is expected to set out the international rules that transcend the scope of the WTO, such as investment policies, protect intellectual property rights, control of state companies, and the quality of product and labor.

7. TPP is expected to create international laws capable of adjusting the policies and directions of the law in each member countries. In other words, the laws of the member countries will have to follow the orientation of the TPP. Many laws in TPP also influence the changes of the legal regime of the country. For example is the legislation to encourage the members of the TPP to open a government agency, with mechanism and the way to work like in the US to perform strengths-weaknesses analysis before issuing new domestic laws.

8. TPP includes 29 chapters, in which there are only 5 chapters are directly related to the issue of exchange of goods and services, the remaining chapters addressed many issues related to different benchmarks, standards about environment, labor quality, financial rules, food and medicine. TPP will remove many benefits of state companies which is currently playing a big role in i.e. Vietnam economy, to create competitive opportunities for private companies.

9. With TPP, foreign and international companies, corporations will be able to bring the government of the member country to TPP’s special court when these countries pose the rules that go against the norms of the TPP. This special court has full authority to make the government to compensate for damage not only occurred, but also the loss of opportunities in the future of international corporations, companies.

10. The TPP members have to sign non-disclosure agreement in the detailed negotiation process about the rules of TPP. These countries may only disclose information to government agencies, organizations, and individuals that are directly related to trade policy advisory.

We help clients overcome cultural barriers and achieve their strategic and financial outcomes, while ensuring the best interest rate protection, risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. ANT lawyers have Attorneys in Hanoi, Attorneys in Ho Chi Minh and Attorneys in Da Nang.

Foreign Investors May Be Allowed to Hold 60% Share

  A new decision has been proposed to the Prime Minister with a number of changes that encourage foreign investors to make investment in Vietnam and in the meantime improve the financial market to catch up with international standard.

ANT Lawyers’ foreign investment practice always follow the change in legal environment to assist our client with the best service. First, foreign investors could own up to 60% of total voting right shares of a listed company. The previous provisions only allow this ratio for strategic partners. Secondly, the foreign investors may hold maximum 49% total voting right shares. The previous provision is 49% of charter capital. Thirdly, for non-voting right shares, the foreign investors are not restricted to hold. Fourthly, for fund certificate, the foreign investors may hold 100% for both close and open funds while the previous provision only allows 49% and restricts the foreign –owned in open funds. Fifthly, foreign organizations business in securities may hold securities companies in Vietnam up to 100% Charter capital while in recent provision, maximum of 49% and 100% for the specific cases.

When the new Decision will have been officially issued, the securities market of Vietnam will be more open and attractive to foreign investors. As expected, impact will be increasing liquidation, opening the conditions to establish investment funds, changing the enterprise’s structure, developing the fund management companies, and as such developing the financial market with more options to invest and control the investment in Vietnam.

We help clients overcome cultural barriers and achieve their strategic and financial outcomes, while ensuring the best interest rate protection, risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. ANT lawyers have law firm in Hanoi, law firm in Ho Chi Minh City and law firm in Da Nang.

Some Notable Changes in Vietnam Enterprise Law from Jul 2015

  There have been a number of significant changes to the Vietnam law on enterprise to improve the business efficiency. Under this law, limited liability companies and joint stock companies may have one or more than one atlaw representative, of which at least one at-law representative resides in Vietnam. An enterprise shall ensure that at least one at-law representative resides in Vietnam. In case an enterprise has only one atlaw representative, such person must reside in Vietnam and shall, upon leaving Vietnam, authorize in writing another person to exercise the rights and perform the obligations of the at-law representative.

From July 01, 2015, enterprises may decide on the appearance, quantity and content of seal and before using a seal, an enterprise shall notify the seal specimen to the business registration agency for publicly posting on the national enterprise registration portal. These are significant contents as prescribed under the Law No. 68/2014/QH13 on Enterprises approved by the National Assembly on November 16, 2014. Another significant point is regulation on omission of business sectors in enterprise registration certificate. From July 01, 2015, enterprise name and identification number, head office address of the enterprise; charter capital and information of the at-law representative of the enterprise, information of the general partners for partnerships; of the enterprise owner for private enterprises… The at-law representative of an enterprise shall register the changes in the contents of the enterprise registration certificate within 10 working days after making the changes. After being granted an enterprise registration certificate, an enterprise shall publicly announce the enterprise registration on the National Enterprise Registration Portal within 30 days. This Law takes effect on July 1, 2015 and replaces the Law No. 60/2005/QH11 on Enterprises and June 20, 2013 Law No. 37/2013/QH13 amending and Supplementing Article 170 of the Law on Enterprises.

Authorized Representative of the Company Under New Law on Enterprises

  In order to raise the standard of business environment in Vietnam, Law on Enterprises 2015 reduced many administrative procedures of establishing and running a business, including the representative authorization of the member or shareholder of the company.

One of the distinguished amendments: authorized representative of the member or shareholder which is legal entity is not required to inform the licensing authority (i.e. Department of Planning and Investment).

Law on Enterprises 2015 provides that the appointment of an authorized representative must be made in written, notified to the Company and take valid from the receipt date of the Company while under Law on Enterprises 2005, the same must be registered at the licensing office.

In addition, any restrictions by the authorizing member on his/her authorized representative in the performance as member in the Members’ Council or shareholder in the Shareholders’ Meeting shall not enforce against the third party.

ANT Lawyers is a Vietnam law firm with international standards, recognized by IFLR1000 on Financial and Corporate practice. The firm provides a wide range of legal services, including M&A, corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory, dispute resolution for multinational and domestic clients.

This publication is designed to provide updated information of legal matters, and does not constitute professional advice.