CaliToday (06/11/2025): Vietnam's National Assembly is in the spotlight today, but the real action isn't on the main floor. In its crucial "group discussion" (thảo luận tại tổ) format, lawmakers are grappling with a legislative package that will fundamentally reshape the nation's economy and the financial lives of its citizens.
As part of the 10th Session, deputies are debating six draft laws, but three, in particular, form a powerful narrative about Vietnam's future: the Law on Digital Transformation, the Law on Tax Administration (Amended), and the Law on Personal Income Tax (Amended).
This is not a routine session; this is the government building its 21st-century toolkit.
1. The 'Digital Transformation' Law: Building the New Economy's 'Rulebook'
This is arguably the cornerstone of the session. Vietnam has staked its national ambitions on becoming a high-tech, digital-first economy. This law is the legal architecture intended to make that happen.
The discussions today are not just about IT; they are about:
E-Governance: How will the government interact with citizens and businesses digitally?
Data as an Asset: Who owns, controls, and is allowed to profit from the massive new streams of data?
Digital Infrastructure: Establishing the legal framework for everything from cloud computing and AI development to data privacy and cybersecurity.
This law is intended to provide the "rules of the road" for a digital society, and its details will directly impact every tech company, bank, and e-commerce platform operating in the country.
2. The Tax Overhaul: Funding the Future and Taxing the 'Untaxable'
The next two laws are inextricably linked. If the first law builds the new digital economy, these two laws are designed to fund it.
The Law on Tax Administration (Amended): This is the government's direct response to the digital age. For years, Vietnam, like many countries, has struggled with how to effectively tax the borderless digital economy. This bill is aimed squarely at leveling the playing field and capturing revenue from cross-border e-commerce giants and digital service providers (like streaming services, social media platforms, and app stores). It's about ensuring that as commerce moves online, tax revenue doesn't evaporate.
The Law on Personal Income Tax (PIT) (Amended): This is the bill that every single Vietnamese worker is watching. As the economy has grown, so has the cost of living. There is intense public debate that the current tax brackets are outdated, punishing the middle class and strangling consumer spending. This amendment is the government's attempt to recalibrate that social contract. The debates in the NA today will focus on a critical balance: how to ease the tax burden on citizens (to spur spending) while still ensuring the state has enough revenue for its ambitious development goals.
In short, this legislative session is a high-wire act. The National Assembly is simultaneously trying to unleash a new digital economy while figuring out how to tax it fairly and effectively, all without overburdening the citizens who power it.