Residents carry out administrative procedures at the Public Administrative Service Center of Thái Bình Ward, Hưng Yên Province. VNA/VNS Photo Thế Duyệt

HÀ NỘI — The Law on Digital Transformation officially took effect in Việt Nam on July 1, 2026, marking an important step towards completing the legal framework for the country’s national digital transformation.

To ensure the law is implemented effectively and consistently, the Government, ministries and agencies, particularly the Ministry of Science and Technology, have proactively issued a range of legal documents, strategies, standards and guidelines. These policies not only strengthen the institutional framework but also establish the legal, technical and governance foundations needed to drive comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable digital transformation nationwide.

Building a legal framework for comprehensive digital transformation

Just days before the Law on Digital Transformation took effect, the Government issued Decree No. 224/2026/ND-CP on June 24, 2026, detailing a number of provisions of the law. The decree took effect alongside the law on July 1, providing a unified and consistent legal framework for digital transformation activities.

The decree focuses on five key areas: comprehensive digital transformation; proactive online public services; the development of digital platforms; promotion of the digital economy; and development of a digital society. It provides an important basis for ministries, agencies and localities to implement the law in a coordinated and consistent manner nationwide.

On the same day, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1132/QD-TTg promulgating criteria and a list of national shared digital platforms for agencies within the political system. The list comprises 79 national shared digital platforms, divided into cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary platforms and those serving specific sectors and fields.

The list is intended to standardise the deployment of digital platforms nationwide, strengthen data connectivity and sharing, avoid overlapping investments and improve the efficiency of resource use.

Among the 79 platforms are several key systems, including the National Public Service Portal, VNeID, the National Data Exchange Platform (NDXP), the National Document Interchange Platform, the National Data Portal, the National Blockchain Platform and the National Virtual Assistant.

On July 14, 2026, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1266/QD-TTg approving the National Digital Transformation Strategy for 2026-30, with a vision to 2045. The strategy sets out the goal of making digital transformation a key driver of national development and governance, with a view to turning Việt Nam into a developed digital nation by 2045.

On July 29, the Prime Minister issued the National Digital Architecture Framework under Decision No. 1425/QD-TTg. This marks the first time Việt Nam has established a unified architecture framework at the national level, providing overall direction for building, developing and operating the country’s digital architecture across the entire political system.

To improve investment and quality management in digital transformation, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued Circular No. 39/2026/TT-BKHCN on July 1, 2026, providing regulations on the preparation and management of investment costs and the procurement of digital transformation services funded by the State budget.

The ministry also issued Circular No. 41/2026/TT-BKHCN, detailing pilot mechanisms for digital transformation and quality management in State-funded digital transformation investment, procurement and service outsourcing activities.

These regulations are expected to standardise budget planning, improve the efficiency of public spending and strengthen quality management throughout the lifecycle of digital transformation projects, from quality control, testing and assessment to acceptance, operation and controlled pilot deployment.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has also introduced a set of criteria for assessing the readiness of administrative procedures for deployment on centralised ministerial-level information systems.

The criteria are designed to standardise administrative procedures before they are deployed on centralised systems, covering procedures, data, digitisation of records, data connectivity, online payments, digital signatures, electronic delivery of results and information security.

The framework provides an important basis for delivering fully online public services, with citizens and businesses at the centre of the process.

The measures introduced since the Law on Digital Transformation took effect show that Việt Nam has moved quickly to strengthen and align its institutional framework for digital transformation. This provides an important foundation for ministries, agencies and localities to accelerate digital transformation and develop digital government, the digital economy and digital society in the new period.

Lê Anh Tuấn, Deputy Director General of the National Digital Transformation Authority under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said the authority would continue to work closely with ministries, agencies and localities to guide the implementation of the new regulations.

Lê Anh Tuấn, Deputy Director of the National Digital Transformation Agency, speaking at the conference. VNA/VNS Photo Thu Phương

It will also promote the development of digital infrastructure, data and platforms while improving State management of digital transformation, contributing to the successful implementation of the National Digital Transformation Strategy and the goal of turning Việt Nam into a developed digital nation.

Tackling bottlenecks in digital transformation

On July 29, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, head of the Government’s Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation and Project 06, signed Decision No. 88/QD-BCĐCP promulgating an action plan to implement Notices No. 24-TB/CQTTBCĐ and No. 25-TB/CQTTBCĐ, as well as Plan No. 05-KH/BCĐTW.

Under the plan, the Government’s Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation instructed ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provincial and municipal People’s Committees, State-owned enterprises and relevant organisations to launch a 100-working-day drive to tackle bottlenecks in digital transformation.

The campaign runs from July 11 to November 30, 2026.

The bottlenecks targeted for resolution fall into 10 areas: institutions; digital infrastructure; digital data; digital platforms; online public services; the digital economy; digital society; human resources; finance and disbursement; and implementation discipline and compliance.

For tasks scheduled for completion after November 30, 2026, the responsible agencies must complete all intermediate outputs and implementation conditions required during the 100-day period, as set out in the appendix to the action plan.

They are also required to continue implementing those tasks according to their assigned deadlines. — VNS