Legal Document Updates in English (50/2020)

VIETNAMESE GUEST WORKERS
MAY UNILATERALLY TERMINATE CONTRACTS WHEN BEING ILL-TREATED

On November 13, 2020, the National Assembly promulgates the Law No. 69/2020/QH14 on Vietnamese Guest Workers under Contracts.

Remarkably, the National Assembly defines the rights of Vietnamese guest workers under contracts. A Vietnamese guest worker under contract may unilaterally terminate his/her contract in case where he/she is ill-treated, subject to forced labor by the employer, or there is an explicit risk of directly threatening to his/her life, health, or he/she is sexually harassed while working abroad.

Besides, Vietnamese guest workers under contracts shall be exempted from social insurance contribution or double personal income tax in Vietnam and the host

FROM JANUARY 22 TO THE END OF 2021,
TO SUSPEND TEMPORARY IMPORT FOR RE-EXPORT OF MEDICAL MASKS

The Ministry of Industry and Trade issues the Circular No. 44/2020/TT-BCT on the suspension of temporary import for re-export of medical masks, medical gloves and anti-epidemic isolation suits on December 07, 2020.

To be specific: The list of medical masks, medical gloves and anti-epidemic isolation suits to be suspended from temporary import for re-export includes: medical gloves

FROM 2021, DRUG DISTRIBUTORS MUST HAVE EQUIPMENT
AND COMPUTERS CONNECTED WITH INTERNET

On June 10, 2020, the Ministry of Health issues the Circular No. 9/2020/TT-BYT on amending and supplementing the Circular No. 03/2018/TT-BYT dated February 09, 2020 of the Minister of Health on good distribution practices for drugs and drug materials.

Accordingly, by January 01, 2021, the establishment distributing drugs must be equipped with equipment and computers connected with Internet and manage the distribution of drugs by computer software, connect with Internet, and ensure the control of original and price of purchased and sold drugs.

The Department of Health shall carry out extraordinary evaluation of the compliance with GDP principles with establishments distributing drugs that makes inappropriate explanation or fails to explain reason for not submitting dossiers of requesting for periodic evaluation at request of the Department of Health.

THE AGENCY FOR REGIONAL INDUSTRY AND TRADE
SHALL MANAGE AND OPERATE THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CLUSTER DATABASE

On November 16, 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issues the Circular No. 28/2020/TT-BCT on prescribing and guiding the implementation of a number of provisions of the Government’s Decree No. 68/2017/ND-CP dated May 25, 2017, on management and development of industrial clusters and the Government’s Decree No. 66/2020/ND-CP dated November 06, 2020, on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Decree No. 68/2017/ND-CP.

Accordingly, the selection of enterprises and cooperatives to be project owners in the construction of industrial cluster technical infrastructure is one of the appraisal of the establishment or expansion of industrial clusters. The duration for selection of project owner in the construction of technical infrastructure is in the stage of appraising documents for establishment or expansion of industrial clusters. The Council shall carry out the appraisal for

STRIVE TO 2030, THE PROPORTION OF LABOR
IN THE INDUSTRIAL AND SERVICE SECTORS WILL SURPASS 70%

The Government issues the Resolution No. 124/NQ-CP promulgating the Action Plan on implementation of the Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated March 22, 2018, on the national industrial development policy orientations through 2030, with a vision toward 2045 on September 03, 2020.

Accordingly, for the implementation of the Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW, the Government sets the following goals to 2030: The industrial sector will account for over 40% of GDP, in which manufacturing and processing industries will make up about 30% and the manufacturing industry alone will account for over 20%; The value proportion of hi-tech products from the processing and manufacturing industries will reach at least 45%; The proportion of labor in the industrial and service sectors will surpass 70%.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, the Government assigns the Ministry of Planning and Investment to coordinate with ministries and branches in formulating a

policy for spatial redistribution to ensure concentration and focus, first of all, to choose development in regions and localities where industrial clusters have initially been formed or where advantages in transport infrastructure, geo-economics, natural resources, labor and logistics exist, that are capable of becoming the engine of growth.

Besides, the Ministry of Information and Communications shall coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in studying and formulating policies on foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in the direction of prioritizing projects applying “high, new, clean and economical" technologies, using a lot of domestically produced raw materials and accessories, with a high proportion of spending on scientific and technological research and development in the country.

This Resolution takes effect on the signing date.