RESOLUTION 278/NQ-CP: 8 DRAFT LAWS THE GOVERNMENT ORDERED FINALIZED BEFORE THE SECOND SESSION — WHAT SHOULD BUSINESSES WATCH?

Under Resolution No. 278/NQ-CP^[1], issued on September 18, 2026 following the Government's September 2026 special law-building session, ministries were directed to urgently finalize the full dossiers for 8 draft laws and resolutions and report to the Government before September 21, 2026, for submission to the National Assembly at its Second Session (16th Legislature). This is a substantial legislative workload ordered completed in a very short time, signaling the Government's determination to accelerate institutional reform in support of socio-economic development — and foreshadowing a period of significant legal change for the business community in the fourth quarter of 2026.

1. The list of 8 draft laws and resolutions ordered finalized

The specific list covers: (1) the amended Land Law; (2) the amended Housing Law; (3) the amended Law on Real Estate Business; (4) the consolidated State Budget Law; (5) a Law amending and supplementing the Investment Law; (6) a Resolution on supplementary corporate income tax under global anti-base-erosion rules; (7) the amended Law on Grassroots Democracy; and (8) the amended Law on Organization of Criminal Investigation Agencies. The Government directed that these draft laws and resolutions must focus on removing difficulties and obstacles under existing law, protecting the lawful rights of businesses and citizens, improving the business investment environment, enhancing the effectiveness of state management, and unlocking and making efficient use of resources, including both domestic and foreign investment capital.

2. The items businesses should pay closest attention to

Of the 8 drafts above, two are likely to have the most direct and immediate impact on investment and business activity: the second Investment Law amendment of the year and the global minimum tax resolution.

2.1. A second Investment Law amendment in 2026

Notably, this is already the second Investment Law amendment added to the legislative program in 2026, coming only about a month after Law No. 24/2026/QH16^[2] (the first amendment, focused mainly on cutting conditional business sectors) was passed by the National Assembly on August 24, 2026 and is set to take effect from March 1, 2027. The specific content of this second amendment had not been made public in detail at the time Resolution 278/NQ-CP was issued, but the pace of successive changes to the Investment Law shows that Vietnam's legal framework for investment is in a period of rapid refinement, requiring investors and businesses to monitor developments closely so as not to be caught off guard by consecutive changes.

2.2. The global minimum tax resolution - impact on FDI enterprises

The item of greatest interest to the foreign-invested business community among the 8 drafts is the Resolution on supplementary corporate income tax under global anti-base-erosion rules, commonly known as the "global minimum tax" (Pillar Two)^[3]. This tax applies to multinational groups with global consolidated revenue of EUR 750 million or more, and is designed to ensure a minimum effective tax rate of 15% in every jurisdiction where the group operates. For large FDI enterprises currently enjoying corporate income tax incentives below 15% in Vietnam, finalizing the legal framework for this supplementary tax will directly affect their investment-incentive calculus and could materially change the financial returns of projects already underway.

3. The land, housing and real estate trio

The group of three draft laws on land, housing and real estate business, while not directly part of investment or enterprise law in the narrow sense, has a very significant indirect impact on the overall business investment environment - particularly the mechanism for determining land prices and land-use fees, the administrative procedures for accessing land for investment projects, and the rules on transparency and curbing speculation in the real estate market. The Government has directed that these draft laws must ensure a "single point of contact, one-stop" principle in handling procedures, while accelerating the development of a transparent, interconnected land and real estate database.

4. What should businesses prepare during this period?

While these draft laws are being finalized and submitted to the National Assembly, businesses - especially large foreign-invested enterprises - should:

4.1. Monitor closely the progress and content of the second Investment Law amendment so as to submit timely comments or adjust investment and expansion plans;

4.2. Review group structures and the effective tax rates currently enjoyed in Vietnam to assess the impact if the global minimum tax resolution is passed and applied;

4.3. Consult tax and legal advisors to develop a response strategy (for example, a qualified domestic minimum top-up tax mechanism) if the business falls within the scope of the global minimum tax;

4.4. Businesses with land- or real-estate-related projects should track changes to the land-pricing mechanism and land-access procedures and factor them into project implementation plans;

4.5. Actively submit comments on the drafts through business associations or chambers of commerce where there are specific concerns or recommendations;

4.6. Regularly follow developments at the National Assembly's Second Session (16th Legislature, expected October 2026) to stay current on which laws and resolutions are officially passed.

With 8 draft laws and resolutions ordered finalized in a short window, the period between now and the National Assembly's Second Session will be a time of significant change to Vietnam's legal framework on investment, land, real estate and corporate tax. Businesses - especially multinational groups within the scope of the global minimum tax - should proactively monitor developments and prepare a response strategy from the drafting stage, rather than waiting until the laws officially take effect. Lexsol will continue to provide updates on each draft law as official information becomes available; for advice on how the changes above may affect your investment or business operations, Lexsol is always ready to accompany and support your business.

Read more: Lexsol - Foreign Investment