On the afternoon of January 5, 2026, the Vietnam Competition Commission (VCC) held a conference to review its performance in 2025 and outline key tasks for 2026. The event was attended and chaired by Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, along with representatives of units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The conference aimed to comprehensively assess the implementation of assigned tasks in 2025 while identifying key solutions for the coming period in the fields of competition and consumer protection. Delegates watched a short video highlighting major milestones in the VCC’s activities throughout 2025. Concise yet evocative, the video vividly portrayed a year marked by responsibility, professionalism and continuous innovation.

Representing the VCC, Nguyen Quynh Anh, Vice Chairwoman of the commission, presented a summary report on its 2025 performance:

Policy advisory and Party-related work

The VCC actively participated in formulating and implementing tasks assigned under Government Resolution No. 138/NQ-CP dated May 16, 2025, which promulgated the action plan to implement Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on private sector development, and Resolution No. 139/NQ-CP dated May 17, 2025, which outlined the Government’s plan to implement National Assembly Resolution No. 198/2025/QH15 on special mechanisms and policies for private economic development.

The commission contributed to the development and implementation of action plans of both the Government and MoIT, with a focus on strengthening enforcement of the Competition Law and ensuring a fair and transparent competitive environment among all economic sectors.

The VCC also took the lead in preparing the report reviewing five years of implementation of Directive No. 30-CT/TW, which served as the basis for the Secretariat to issue Conclusion No. 207-KL/TW dated November 10, 2025. In parallel, it coordinated the development and rollout of the action plan to implement Conclusion No. 207 across the industry and trade sector, contributing to tangible improvements in consumer protection in the new context.

In addition, the VCC advised on the action programme of the Standing Board of the MoIT Party Committee to implement Plan No. 131-KH/BTGDVTW related to Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

Institution-building and policy development

In 2025, the VCC advised the MoIT to submit to the Prime Minister Decision No. 04/2025/QD-TTg regulating allowances for VCC members, competition procedure officers, appraisers, interpreters and witnesses. It also advised the Minister of Industry and Trade to issue Circular No. 42/2025/TT-BCT on the list of products, goods and services subject to registration of standard-form contracts and general transaction conditions.

The commission completed and submitted to the Government the dossier for a draft decree amending and supplementing Decree No. 75/2019/ND-CP and a draft decree replacing Decree No. 40/2018/ND-CP on the management of multi-level marketing activities, ensuring progress in line with the approved roadmap. At the same time, it drafted a circular guiding internal administrative procedures for coordination in controlling standard-form contracts and general transaction conditions under the Law on Protection of Consumer Rights.

The VCC also advised competent authorities on major programmes and projects, including the scheme on enhancing the effectiveness of competition law enforcement through 2030 and the National Programme on Consumer Protection for the 2026 - 2030 period, providing strategic direction for state management in the next phase.

Regarding coordination in law-making, the commission studied and proposed decentralisation and delegation of authority in its areas of state management under two Government decrees, namely Decree No. 146/2025/ND-CP and Decree No. 139/2025/ND-CP dated June 12, 2025. It also actively contributed opinions on numerous other legal documents.

Competition management

The VCC strengthened competition monitoring and control of economic concentration activities. In 2025, it received and assessed 231 economic concentration transactions; examined 63 cases showing signs of competition law violations; and conducted investigations into restrictive practices, unlawful economic concentration and unfair competition across several key sectors.

As a result, decisions were issued to investigate 13 unfair competition cases, while competent authorities handed down 11 sanctioning decisions in fields such as postal services, insurance, bottled water, gold trading and pharmaceuticals, with total fines amounting to VND 2.2 billion.

To date, the VCC has received and processed two applications for exemption from prohibited restrictive agreements. Based on the dossiers and evidence collected, and in accordance with competition law, the commission issued two exemption decisions on April 17, 2025.

Inspection activities were also intensified, with compliance checks conducted on four enterprises operating in e-commerce platforms and maritime logistics.

Management of multi-level marketing activities

State management of multi-level marketing continued to be implemented in a coordinated and rigorous manner nationwide. In 2025, the VCC processed more than 140 administrative dossiers related to multi-level marketing, conducted inspections and imposed administrative sanctions on six enterprises, with total fines exceeding VND 1.3 billion.

The commission also stepped up coordination with public security agencies in combating illegal and disguised multi-level marketing activities, while organising training and providing professional guidance to local authorities.

Consumer protection

The VCC completed its 2025 inspection and supervision plan, detecting and sanctioning violations by 17 organisations and individuals, with total fines of VND 2.71 billion. It supervised 19 product recall programmes and monitored the specific responsibilities of major digital platforms as stipulated in the 2023 Law on Protection of Consumer Rights.

Consumer consultation and support activities were maintained through the 1800.6838 hotline. In 2025, the hotline received 14,868 calls, of which 9,513 were directly handled by operators, accounting for around 64 percent, ensuring timely and proper handling of consumer feedback.

The VCC also received 896 complaints, petitions and recommendations from consumers via various channels, mainly email and its website. At the same time, it basically completed the 2025 tasks of three key projects: the “Businesses for Consumers” scheme; the project on developing the consumer consultation and support hotline system at MoIT; and the project on building the National Consumer Protection Database for the 2021-2025 period.

In coordination with the Hai Phong Department of Industry and Trade, the VCC successfully launched Vietnam Consumer Rights Day 2025 under the theme “transparent information - responsible consumption”. The event attracted more than 500 in-person participants and was livestreamed on platforms such as TikTok as well as local television and radio channels, generating strong public engagement and raising social awareness of consumer rights and obligations.

Control of standard-form contracts and general transaction conditions

In 2025, the commission received and appraised 200 registration dossiers, ensuring compliance with statutory deadlines, with over 70 percent processed ahead of schedule. Rejected dossiers accounted for 62 percent, helping eliminate inappropriate clauses, protect consumers and improve legal compliance among businesses.

Digital transformation

Implementing the Party’s and Government’s orientations on data-driven governance and digital transformation, the VCC based its efforts on Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, Resolution No. 214/NQ-CP, Conclusion No. 207-KL/TW dated November 10, 2025, and Resolution No. 66.7/2025/NQ-CP on administrative procedure simplification through digital data exploitation.

In 2025, the VCC identified digital transformation as a key pillar in renewing state management methods, aiming to enhance governance efficiency and service quality for citizens and businesses in the digital economy. It coordinated with relevant MoIT units to review and propose simplification of dossier components that could be replaced by data from existing databases.

Building on strengthened digital infrastructure and information security, the VCC focused on developing the project on consumer protection activities for the 2026 - 2030 period, with an emphasis on applying artificial intelligence and digital data. The goal is to establish a centralised management system connected from the central level to 34 provinces and cities, enhancing market monitoring, analysis and early warning capabilities from 2026.

Orientations for 2026

At the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan acknowledged and highly appreciated the VCC’s achievements in law-making and enforcement on competition, consumer protection, management of multi-level marketing activities, and the investigation and handling of competition cases in 2025.

To enhance the role of a multi-sectoral regulatory body, the Deputy Minister outlined several key tasks for the NCC to focus on in 2026.

Responding to the guidance, Trinh Anh Tuan, Chairman of the VCC, pledged that the commission would proactively translate the orientations into concrete actions and effectively implement its 2026 work programme.

At the conference, the MoIT presented certificates of merit to outstanding collectives and individuals for their achievements in 2025, recognising their contributions to the overall development of the VCC. The event concluded in a solemn atmosphere, reflecting the strong determination of all VCC officials to further enhance the effectiveness of competition management and consumer protection in the time ahead.