Strengthening state management of e-commerce

The Prime Minister requested to strengthen state management of e-commerce.

The dispatch was sent to the Ministers of the following ministries: Industry and Trade, Public Security, Finance, National Defense, Information and Communications, Planning and Investment, Transport and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

The dispatch stated: In recent times, e-commerce has developed strongly, becoming an inevitable trend of the global economy, especially cross-border e-commerce activities attracting many sectors in society.  In Vietnam, e-commerce is increasingly expanding and has now become a popular business method known to businesses and people. The diversity of operating models and participants, e-commerce makes it easier for businesses and individuals to introduce and deliver products to consumers.  However, the rapid development of e-commerce activities also poses many challenges for online transactions, management and supervision, protection of consumer rights, ensuring product quality in the face of counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, violations of intellectual property rights, violations of laws on consumer rights protection, tax laws, etc. To continue to promote and further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in the field of e-commerce, the Prime Minister requests:

1- The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies

a) Continue to review the Law on Commerce and related legal documents to promptly propose the development, amendment and supplementation of legal policies on e-commerce management.

 b) Summarize and evaluate the implementation of the National E-commerce Development Master Plan for the 2021-2025 period, on that basis, research, develop and submit to competent authorities for consideration and approval of the Plan for the 2026-2030 period.

c) Proactively develop policies to manage transactions in e-commerce activities for exported and imported goods.

d) Continue to promote propaganda, dissemination, and guidance for businesses and people to improve their spirit of law compliance and consumer protection in cyberspace.

dd) Strengthen warnings and guidance for consumers through e-commerce; inspect and strictly handle acts of smuggling, trade fraud, trading in counterfeit goods, and goods that violate intellectual property rights.

e) Promote cross-border e-commerce activities to promote the export of qualified Vietnamese goods to the world.

2- The Ministry of Public Security shall preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies

a) Promote the implementation of electronic authentication services for e-commerce platforms, ensuring that participating organizations, businesses and individuals are authenticated when participating in the provision and exchange of goods on e-commerce platforms, avoiding tax losses and fraudulent acts.

b) Continue to direct functional units to strengthen cybersecurity in e-commerce activities; deploy preventive measures, combat and strictly handle violators according to the provisions of law.

 3- The Ministry of Finance shall preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies

a) Urgently submit to the Government for promulgation a Decree amending and supplementing Decree No. 123/2020/ND-CP dated October 19, 2020 of the Government regulating invoices and documents, including research and proposals: (i) Regulations on sellers being able to authorize e-commerce trading floors to issue e-invoices to buyers; (ii) Regulations on the responsibilities of relevant ministries and agencies in coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to deploy e-invoice solutions for e-commerce activities.

b) Submit to the Government for consideration and promulgation a Decree on customs management of exported and imported goods traded via e-commerce to more closely manage import and export activities via e-commerce.

 4- The Ministry of Information and Communications shall coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to study and propose amendments and supplements to legal regulations to strengthen sanctions, suspension, prevention and revocation of operating licenses for violations of the law related to the field of e-commerce.

5- The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to study, propose and implement legal regulations on management of specific business registration for e-commerce activities and business models on digital platforms. Complete e-commerce statistics to specify the industries, fields of e-commerce and business models on digital platforms.

6- The Ministry of Transport shall preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to study, propose and implement regulations in the field of transportation to strengthen management of transportation models and freight transport on digital platforms.

 7- The Ministry of National Defense continues to direct functional units to strengthen state management measures to protect national sovereignty in cyberspace, combat high-tech crimes, contributing to ensuring national cyberspace security and safety; closely coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies in the work of preventing and combating smuggling and trade fraud in e-commerce activities.

8- Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies; People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, according to their assigned functions and tasks, continue to resolutely, synchronously and effectively implement the tasks and solutions assigned in Decision No. 645/QD-TTg dated May 15, 2020 of the Prime Minister on approving the Master Plan for national e-commerce development for the period 2021-2025; Directive No. 18/CT-TTg dated May 30, 2023 of the Prime Minister on promoting connection and data sharing to serve e-commerce development, combat tax loss, and ensure monetary security; Official Dispatch No. 889/CD-TTg dated October 1, 2022 of the Prime Minister on improving the efficiency of tax collection management for e-commerce activities and business on digital platforms;  Telegram No. 56/CD-TTg dated June 6, 2024 of the Prime Minister on continuing to strengthen state management in the field of e-commerce and digital-based business; improving the effectiveness and efficiency of e-commerce management to serve people and businesses, protect domestic production, facilitate trade activities, create a transparent and fair import-export environment, contribute to improving national competitiveness, prevent smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods and illegal transportation of goods across borders, ensure social order and safety; promptly propose and report to the Prime Minister on issues arising beyond his authority.

9- Assign Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son to directly direct the implementation, urge and handle difficulties in the implementation of this Telegram./.