Nguyễn Thanh Nghị, Member of the Politburo and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Policy and Strategy Commission. VNA/VNS Photo

In recent years, the Politburo has issued a series of strategic resolutions aimed at comprehensively addressing socio-economic development challenges, with a view to realising the country’s two centenary goals and steering Việt Nam into a new era of development. In an interview with Đầu tư ( Vietnam Investment Review) online newspaper, Nguyễn Thanh Nghị, Member of the Politburo and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Policy and Strategy Commission, elaborated on the vision, innovative thinking and breakthroughs embedded in this system of resolutions.

Recently, the Politburo has issued a number of important resolutions to realise the country’s two centenary goals. Could you outline the core commonalities of these resolutions?

The defining common thread across these resolutions is their high degree of unity in terms of viewpoints, objectives and solutions, which are designed comprehensively and coherently. They strike a balance between ensuring long-term strategic orientation and focusing on removing major bottlenecks to create development breakthroughs. At the same time, they place strong emphasis on resolute and effective implementation, guided by the principle of clear responsibilities, clear tasks, clear accountability, clear authority, clear timelines and clear outcomes, thereby ensuring feasibility in practice.

These achievements stem first and foremost from the unified and consistent leadership and direction of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat, particularly the major orientations that embody fundamental innovation and create breakthroughs for national and sectoral development, as articulated by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm. On that basis, advisory bodies, including the Policy and Strategy Commission, have focused on research and the formulation of policy proposals to promptly translate the Party’s strategic vision and new development thinking into concrete resolutions and conclusions suited to the country’s new development phase.

Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation was the first to be issued. What is the Politburo’s breakthrough perspective in this resolution?

Resolution 57-NQ/TW clearly identifies the development of science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation as the foremost breakthrough and the primary driving force for rapidly developing modern productive forces, improving production relations, reforming national governance and promoting socio-economic development. This is also a key solution to preventing the risk of falling behind and enabling the country to make strong strides towards prosperity in the new era.

A particularly notable breakthrough lies in positioning science, technology, innovation and digital transformation at the very core of the development process. The resolution introduces a new approach to law-making that both ensures effective state management and actively encourages innovation. For the first time, data is recognised as a critical factor of production, fostering the rapid development of big data infrastructure, the data industry and the data-driven economy.

At the same time, the resolution underscores the need for fast yet sustainable development and the gradual attainment of technological self-reliance, especially in strategic technologies, alongside the prioritisation of national resources for this domain.

The resolution lays out seven groups of integrated tasks and solutions, with institutional and legal reform identified as a prerequisite that must go ahead of other measures. These are complemented by policies on developing high-quality human resources, building digital and data infrastructure and advancing strategic technologies.

Notably, the establishment of a steering committee for the implementation of the resolution, headed by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, and an advisory council comprising managers, scientists and experts, reflects strong political resolve and an innovative, decisive approach to implementing a resolution of exceptional strategic importance.

To achieve double-digit economic growth, ensuring national energy security is essential. How does Resolution No 70-NQ/TW reflect strategic vision and breakthrough thinking in national energy development?

Resolution 70-NQ/TW clearly demonstrates strategic vision and fundamentally renewed thinking in national energy development, adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach that aligns objectives with institutional reform, market development, resource mobilisation and stakeholder engagement.

At its core, the resolution marks a decisive shift from a mindset focused merely on meeting energy demand to one centred on ensuring proactive and sustainable national energy security, which is accorded the highest priority to support sustained growth of over 10 per cent in the coming period and fulfil the country’s two centenary goals. Energy security is identified as a critical pillar of national security, closely linked to macroeconomic stability and the economy’s self-reliance.

The resolution paves the way for building a competitive, transparent and efficient energy market and for developing a self-reliant national energy industry through institutional reform, market expansion and the attraction of investment resources. It also encourages all economic sectors, particularly the private sector, to participate on an equal footing in energy projects, while promoting new mechanisms such as direct power purchase agreements and a competitive retail electricity market.

In addition, the resolution provides orientation for the development of new energy sources, the modernisation of infrastructure and the establishment of strategic reserves; promotes energy efficiency, environmental protection and climate change adaptation; and calls for flexible implementation of international commitments on emissions reduction.

New thinking on the private sector is clearly reflected in Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW. How do you assess this shift?

Resolution 68-NQ/TW represents a significant advance in the Party’s theoretical thinking by affirming that the private sector is the most important driving force of the national economy. The private sector is identified as a pioneering force in driving growth, creating jobs, improving labour productivity and enhancing national competitiveness, while playing a key role in industrialisation, modernisation and the restructuring of the economy towards a green, circular and sustainable model.

The resolution reflects a fundamental change in approach, with the State shifting from an administrative management mindset to one of development facilitation, accompanying enterprises and creating a transparent, safe and favourable investment and business environment. Property rights, freedom of business and fair competition are fully guaranteed; enterprises are free to operate in sectors not prohibited by law; trust between the State and the private sector is strengthened; and the legitimate rights and interests of businesses and entrepreneurs are protected.

Policy priorities focus on institutional reform, a decisive shift from pre-inspection to post-inspection, the avoidance of criminalising economic relations and the completion of legal frameworks for new economic models. Breakthrough mechanisms and policies are introduced to encourage private investment in priority sectors, research and development, innovation, digital transformation and participation in strategically important national tasks.

The resolution also promotes the formation of large private conglomerates with regional and international competitiveness; stronger linkages between private enterprises, state-owned enterprises and foreign-invested firms; substantive support for small, micro enterprises and household businesses; and enhanced domestic supply chain connectivity.

Alongside Resolution 68-NQ/TW, what are the key new points of Resolution No. 79-NQ/TW on the development of the state economy?

Resolution 79-NQ/TW is the Party’s first thematic resolution dedicated specifically to the development of the state economy. It reaffirms the state economy’s leading role in the socialist-oriented market economy, serving as an important instrument for state regulation and development guidance, ensuring major economic balances and macroeconomic stability. At the same time, the state economy is required to pioneer development, lead industrialisation and modernisation and help establish a new growth model.

A notable new feature is the requirement to comprehensively review, inventory, assess and account for state economic resources in accordance with market principles, as well as to evaluate the impacts and conduct cost–benefit analyses of public investment in line with international practices. The state economy must operate on an equal legal footing with other economic sectors, play a guiding role in key, essential and strategic industries and support other sectors to develop.

The resolution sets out overarching objectives and five specific goal groups, along with comprehensive task and solution packages for each component of the state economy, with particular emphasis on restructuring state-owned enterprises, improving operational efficiency and applying advanced technologies and modern governance models.

In light of the new requirements set by the 14th National Party Congress, how should strategic research and policy advisory work be renewed?

Strategic research and advisory work must continue to undergo strong renewal in terms of thinking, implementation methods and overall quality. In the immediate term, priority should be given to researching and developing policy proposals under the action programme for implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress; advising on the review of 40 years of implementing the national development platform; and summing up 100 years of Party leadership while defining orientations for the country’s development over the next century.

At the same time, it is essential to closely track domestic realities and international trends to propose new tasks and initiatives; strengthen coordination with state agencies to translate Party resolutions into concrete and feasible action programmes and plans; and enhance guidance, supervision and monitoring of implementation.

Crucially, the process must harness collective strength and mobilise the intellectual resources of policy-making bodies, research institutions, scientists and experts at home and abroad, while closely linking strategic research with practical realities at the local level and among enterprises and citizens, ensuring that strategic decisions truly take root in real life. — VNS