VIETNAM – THE NATIONAL POWER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 8 WILL NOT BE COMPLETED IN THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT TERM

1. VIETNAM – THE NATIONAL POWER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 8 WILL NOT
BE COMPLETED IN THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT TERM
In a letter issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh
Dung, Ministry of Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh and Central Government Office
Minister Chairman Mai Tien Dung dated 18 March 2021, the Prime Minister expressed his
concern that since the PDP 8 is still currently incomplete, it is difficult to promptly issue the
National Power Development Planning 8 in the current government term. This is because there
was a delay in the submission of the Draft PDP 8 by the MOIT, which was originally scheduled
for October 2020, yet postponed until January 2021.
The 11th session of the 14th National Assembly of Vietnam will take place in 12 days, starting
from 24 March 2021. The key purpose of this session is to elect a new President, Prime Minister
and Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam. In other words, the fastest that the PDP 8
can be finalized is in April 2021.
In his letter, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted the following points with regard to
renewable energy and LNG development specifically:
- To concentrate urgently on the completion of PDP 8 in line with Politburo’s Resolution No.55 on
the national energy development strategy orientation of Vietnam until 2030, with a vision to
2045, especially the development goals;
- Planning must ensure the principles of publicity, transparency, avoiding negativity and lobbying
or bribery-related conducts. The Ministry of Industry and Trade Minister shall be fully
responsible for this;
- The Central Government Office is in charge of written assignment of tasks, specifying the above-
mentioned issues.
For more information on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the author Dr. Oliver
Massmann under omassmann@duanemorris.com. Dr. Oliver Massmann is the General Director
of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC, Member to the Supervisory Board of PetroVietnam Insurance
JSC and the only foreign lawyer presenting in Vietnamese language to members of the
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF VIETNAM.