Through a review of 494 legal documents, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) identified several shortcomings that need to be addressed, and subsequently proposed solutions to improve the institutional framework, remove obstacles, and promote the development of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation nationwide.
Tạp chí Khoa học và Công nghệ Việt Nam•14/11/2026
On November 12, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) organized a conference titled “Consultation on the Results of the Comprehensive Review of Legal Documents,” with the participation of localities, agencies, organizations, and businesses. The conference focused on gathering practical feedback and supplementing the basis for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of law enforcement within the scope of the MST’s management.
At the conference, Mr. Nguyen Huu Quan, Deputy Director of the Legal Department, Ministry of Science and Technology, emphasized that Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo has identified institutions as one of the prerequisites that need to be perfected and prioritized to promote the development of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation nationwide.
According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Quan, in recent years, the legal system in areas under the management of the Ministry of Science and Technology has made significant progress. Many new mechanisms and policies have been issued in the direction of reforming management thinking, strengthening decentralization and delegation of power, simplifying administrative procedures, and creating more favorable conditions for research and application of technology in production and business.
However, science and technology is a rapidly developing field, while the law needs continuous adjustment to adapt to reality. Some regulations are inconsistent, unclear, or have not kept pace with technological advancements and new business models. Many difficulties also stem from interpretations, applications, and implementation processes.
” Therefore, regularly reviewing and evaluating the legal system based on practical experience is extremely necessary, not only to identify shortcomings that need to be addressed, but also to identify good mechanisms and policies that need to be maintained and promoted, and new issues that need to be regulated by law, ” said Mr. Nguyen Huu Quan.
According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Hoang, a specialist in the Legal Department, following a comprehensive review of 494 legal documents under the state management of the Ministry of Science and Technology, as of October 31, 2026, 16 documents had been processed, including 4 laws and 12 circulars.
Regarding legal documents that still need processing, the overall review identified 94.Legal documents (including: 5 Laws, 18 Decrees, 10 Prime Minister’s decisions and 61 others)Circulars are proposed for new issuance, amendment, supplementation; replacement; temporary suspension of effect, or partial repeal.
The shortcomings identified relate to the consistency and uniformity of the legal system; business conditions and administrative procedures; and regulations that are unclear, impractical, or difficult to apply. Specifically, 62 documents were proposed for review concerning consistency and uniformity, and 20 documents related to business conditions and administrative procedures.
Notably, the review also identified 24 interdisciplinary issues involving 8 ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and the Supreme People’s Court . Of these, 2 issues have been addressed, 1 is currently being addressed, and 21 require further research and refinement. The remaining 21 issues fall under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly or the Government.
The main inter-sectoral obstacles relate to mechanisms such as: finance, investment, and procurement in the field of science and technology; management of assets generated from science and technology tasks; intellectual property (IP) and commercialization of research results; controlled testing mechanisms for new technologies; data, digital transformation, and decentralization of power between the central and local governments.
Another noteworthy aspect is the restructuring of the legal system towards streamlining, reducing the number of implementing guidelines, and limiting fragmented and overlapping regulations. According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Hoang, for the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation, the number of implementing guidelines is expected to decrease from 25 to 14. For the Law on Atomic Energy, the number of implementing guidelines is expected to decrease from 41 to 22.
Compared to the most recent systematized data published in early 2024, the total number of documents under the management of the former Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Information and Communications was 902. After the review, reorganization, and transfer of some management areas, the number of documents now stands at 494, a reduction of approximately 45%.
Many suggestions have been made to address practical problems.
Mr. Nguyen Ky, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, said that the city is implementing approximately 13 outstanding policies on science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in accordance with Articles 30 and 31 of the Law on Urban Development and Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on piloting special mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City. These policies focus on tax incentives for innovation activities, developing centers of excellence (COE), supporting the commercialization of research, investing in data infrastructure, shared digital platforms, and implementing controlled testing mechanisms (sandboxes), ordering, and awarding contracts for strategic technologies.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ky, the rapid pace of technological development, especially AI, requires institutions to quickly adapt. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology regularly receives inquiries from research institutes, universities, and businesses to advise on handling issues within the city’s jurisdiction. At the same time, it compiles and submits recommendations to the Ministry of Science and Technology regarding matters beyond its authority.
Regarding the application processing procedure, single-sector applications are forwarded to the relevant specialized department for appraisal, while multi-sector applications are coordinated by the Department of Science and Technology. The processing time is 7 days, including 1-3 days for consultation with relevant departments. The city is also reviewing overlapping coordination processes to minimize unnecessary procedures and shorten processing times for businesses.
Based on his scientific research experience, Dr. Than Quoc An Ha, Deputy Director of the Institute of Advanced Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, highly appreciated the Ministry of Science and Technology’s timely review of legal documents to implement new regulations from Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW. However, Dr. Than Quoc An Ha believes that some regulations on intellectual property rights have not kept pace with the development speed of new technologies, especially AI.
Dr. Than Quoc An Ha argued that the process of evaluating, assessing, and granting intellectual property rights is still lengthy, sometimes taking two years, affecting resources, cooperation progress, and the commercialization of research results. He also proposed reviewing and valuing foundational research and basic research already conducted, in order to establish a mechanism for putting research assets into practical application. At the same time, he suggested clarifying the concepts and scope between innovation and digital transformation, along with a list and specific guidelines for research institutes, universities, and businesses.
Associate Professor Dr. Vu Tuan Hung, Director of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Southern Region, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, highly appreciated the institutional progress, especially the mechanisms and policies issued after Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW.
He stated that the previous process for developing scientific research proposals had shortcomings, requiring dossiers hundreds of pages long and detailing every expenditure item, thus reducing the space for the original discovery aspect of the research activity. The current regulations, which favor shorter proposals and focus on allowing the evaluation committee to assess the ideas and research direction, represent a positive change.
However, he also raised concerns about the allowance system for work and accommodation in the context of local mergers. When administrative areas are expanded, in some cases, three former provinces are merged into one locality, but the allowance regulations still apply according to the old area, causing difficulties for officials who have to travel long distances to perform their duties.
Associate Professor Dr. Vu Tuan Hung proposed reforming the mechanism for investing in science and technology, focusing on output results, prioritizing investment in, acquisition of, or rewarding products and inventions that have proven effective in practice, instead of just providing initial funding for research projects. This approach would encourage many stakeholders, from farmers and workers to businesses, to participate in innovation.
Ms. Pham Thi My Hien, from the Southern Power Corporation (EVN SPC), stated that the unit is managing a metering system serving over 8.7 million customers and is complying with regulations. Circular No. 23/2013/TT-BKHCN regulates measurement for Group 2 measuring instruments.
Based on practical experience, Ms. Pham Thi My Hien suggested that the Ministry of Science and Technology clarify the mechanism for allocating funding for science and technology and innovation tasks; specify regulations on updating intellectual property information, handling violations of scientific integrity, and the conditions for hiring foreign experts.
For innovation projects, classification by scale and complexity is necessary to establish appropriate deadlines for submitting applications, instead of applying a general 15-day period. Simultaneously, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the research results after one year of operation should be included. In the field of metrology, Ms. Pham Thi My Hien proposed clarifying the requirements for professional qualifications and experience of users of Group 2 measuring instruments, facilitating training and personnel placement for businesses.
Based on the review results and consultations, the Ministry of Science and Technology proposes three key groups of solutions: Developing an action plan to address the recommendations following the review, clearly identifying the issues, documents to be addressed, the lead agency, coordinating agencies, and deadlines for completion; Establishing a unified coordination mechanism to resolve inter-sectoral issues; and Strengthening monitoring and evaluation of the results of post-review actions.
Effectiveness should not only be measured by the number of documents amended, supplemented, or repealed, but also by its ability to remove bottlenecks, reduce compliance costs, shorten processing times, and facilitate investment, research, development, application, and commercialization of technology.
According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Quan, not all obstacles require legal amendments, as some issues stem from interpretations, applications, or implementations. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly identify the causes in order to choose appropriate solutions. The Legal Department will coordinate with specialized units to finalize the review results, classify issues requiring regulatory amendments, address obstacles in the implementation process, and research and propose new mechanisms and policies.
Original article
https://vjst.vn/bo-kh-cn-ra-soat-van-ban-quy-pham-phap-luat-thao-go-vuong-mac-the-che-104114.html
Tag:Legal documentsPolicyInnovation
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