Yesterday afternoon in Hanoi, the Ministry of Science and Technology held its regular press conference to summarize outstanding activities in 2025 and introduce new policies including the Law on Artificial Intelligence and the Law on Digital Transformation.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui Hoang Phuong chaired the press conference.
At the press conference, the Ministry of Science and Technology provided detailed information on strategic laws recently passed by the National Assembly, especially the Law on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Law on Digital Transformation. These are considered foundational "building blocks" for Vietnam to break through in the digital age and enhance its international competitiveness.
Regarding the Law on Artificial Intelligence, Tran Van Son, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Software and Digital Content Industry (NISCI) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, affirmed that this is a historic step, establishing a legal framework that both creates space for innovation and effectively manages risks.
According to Tran Van Son, Vietnam has chosen a harmonious approach, developing strongly like Japan but with greater security than South Korea's basic approach. The law is built on the principle of putting people at the center, ensuring that AI is a tool to serve and cannot replace the decision-making role of humans. The core of the Artificial Intelligence Law includes risk-based management, establishing a safe, transparent, and accountable monitoring mechanism.
The law also focuses on data infrastructure, computing infrastructure, and shared platforms to ensure digital sovereignty. One of the highlights of the law is that AI activities enjoy the highest investment incentives, supporting the formation of cutting-edge technology supply chains and unicorn companies.
Regarding the Digital Transformation Law, Tran Quoc Tuan from the National Digital Transformation Agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology said that this is a "framework law" that connects and systematizes fragmented regulations from previous specialized laws to create a comprehensive picture of a digital nation. A particularly noteworthy new aspect of this law is the first-ever unified legal codification of digital transformation concepts, providing a foundation for the State to implement specific support policies.
The law also establishes a strong political commitment by stipulating that at least 1 percent of the annual state budget be allocated to digital transformation. The Digital Transformation Law is expected to create a competitive advantage through three key points. Firstly, it aims to reduce compliance costs, restructure administrative processes, and enable data digitization, saving investors from having to visit multiple agencies. Secondly, it allows businesses to innovate within a legal framework. Finally, it connects the national digital platform, enabling the private sector to connect with and reuse the capabilities of the public digital platform, helping businesses "stand on the shoulders of giants."
At the press conference, Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong emphasized that 2025 will be a breakthrough year for the institutional development of the science and technology sector, with 10 laws, 23 decrees, and nearly 70 circulars being drafted and amended. Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong affirmed that never before have all ministries, agencies, and localities focused so strongly on building national digital platforms and databases as this year. Regarding newly enacted laws, the Ministry of Science and Technology has proactively developed implementation plans and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice to anticipate the issuance of 16 detailed regulations, ensuring that there will be no situation of "laws waiting for decrees."
Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong also directed subordinate units to continue promoting communication and developing publicly available guidebooks and documents so that citizens and businesses can easily access and apply the laws as soon as they come into effect.
In 2026, the Ministry of Science and Technology aims to position Vietnam among the world’s top 65 nations in e-Government, digital government, and online public service indexes. The country targets processing 70 percent of administrative procedures entirely online, ensuring 100 percent of essential public services integrate artificial intelligence, and providing all civil servants with basic digital skills training. Additionally, all ministries, agencies, and localities are expected to reach Level 3 in data governance.
In the digital technology industry, the ministry sets an ambitious goal of reaching US$224 billion in revenue and US$199 billion in electronic hardware exports, supported by 89,000 digital technology enterprises. It also plans to accelerate the development of the semiconductor industry, issue a list of priority products eligible for investment incentives, and promote global expansion of Vietnamese tech companies.
In the postal and telecommunications sector, the ministry aims for postal revenues of VND104 trillion, universal Internet connectivity at all postal service points, and 5G network coverage for 90 percent of the population.
