Hanoi (VNA) – Lawmakers on August 27 discussed a draft Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Commerce, Law on Competition, Law on Foreign Trade Management, and Law on Protection of Consumer Rights during the 5th session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee.
Presenting the draft law, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Truong Thanh Hoai said the six-article draft focuses on reviewing and revising provisions concerning decentralisation, delegation of authority and the division of responsibilities in the industrial and commercial sectors, while addressing bottlenecks that have emerged during implementation.
Hoai stressed that the amendments aim to fully institutionalise Party guidelines and policies, resolve legal obstacles, strengthen decentralisation and delegation of authority, and minimise administrative procedures for people and businesses.
Speaking in support of the amendments, Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs Phan Van Mai called for a comprehensive assessment of the impact of proposed changes, particularly those concerning promotions in the digital environment.
Regarding State monopolies in commercial activities, he said the Standing Board of the NA Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs basically supports determining such monopolies on the basis of specialised laws and a publicly announced list. It also called for clearer responsibilities among the Ministry of Industry and Trade and other ministries in preparing the list.
Mai stressed the need to assess the impact of promotional limits and maximum discount rates on digital platforms, shopping vouchers, reward points and cross-border promotional activities, while ensuring clear regulations that avoid differing interpretations and implementation difficulties.
For amendments to the Law on Competition, lawmakers called for clearer provisions on relevant markets, market shares, combined market shares and significant market power, particularly reflecting the distinctive characteristics of the digital economy. They also urged clarification of concepts such as “groups of affiliated enterprises” and “groups of enterprises holding a dominant market position”.
Regarding foreign trade management, deputies called for clear delineation of the authority of central and local agencies in issuing certificates of origin and approving self-certification of origin. A unified international focal point, database and procedures for verification and revocation were also proposed to prevent inconsistencies among localities that could affect preferential tariff eligibility and the credibility of Vietnamese origin certification.
Chairman of the NA Committee for Legal and Judicial Affairs Phan Chi Hieu stressed the need for thorough review to ensure that amendments fundamentally address practical problems. He also called for consistency in regulations on State monopolies, competition sanctions and the authority of relevant agencies, particularly as the Law on Handling Administrative Violations is being revised./.
