List of State monopoly goods and services in Vietnam

Decree 94/2017 of the Government provides a list of goods and services, which are subject to State monopoly. In other words, enterprises from private sectors including foreign-invested enterprises are not allowed to provide these goods and services in Vietnam unless they are appointed by the State authority to do so.

Under Decree 94/2017, the State will contemplate a goods or service to be State monopoly services only when there are no other investors who are interested in and capable to provide such goods and services. The list of State monopoly goods and services includes, among other things:

Purchasing shares from an individual in Vietnam

A purchaser of listed shares in a public joint stock company (Public JSC) from an individual selling such shares through his/her securities trading account does not need to verify the selling individual’s authority to sell the listed shares under the Law on Family and Marriage 2014 assuming that:

  • the listed shares are not the main sources of income of the selling individual and his/her spouse (if he/she is married); and
  • the purchaser is an innocent purchaser who does not know that the selling individual is married or that the selling individual does not have the authority to sell the listed shares under the Law on Family and Marriage 2014.

Investment Registration Certificates for Establishing a Branch of a Foreign Entity in Vietnam

Technically, except for branches in the banking, insurance, securities and oil and gas sectors, the Investment Law 2014 will apply to the establishment of a branch in Vietnam by a foreign entity. This is because:

  • under the Commercial Law 2005, a foreign business entity’s branch, a part of a foreign business entity in Vietnam, is established in Vietnam and conducts commercial activities in accordance with Vietnamese laws;
  • a Vietnamese branch of a foreign business is a form of economic entity as defined in Investment Law 2014; and
  • the investment procedures under Investment Law 2014 will apply to the establishment of economic entities in all sectors, excluding securities, credit institution, insurance business, and petroleum laws.

Decree 71/2017 - new corporate governance rules for public joint stock companies in Vietnam

Decree 71/2017 provides for a various corporate governance rules applicable to public joint stock companies in Vietnam. Decree 71/2017 takes effect from 1 August 2017. Below is a detailed comparison between Decree 71/2017 and the old corporate governance rules under Circular 121/2012 of the Ministry of Finance. This post is contributed by Ha Thanh Phuc and Nguyen Hang Nga, legal interns at Venture North Law.