Creating an environment for national enterprises’ development

Resolution 09 on building and promoting the role of Vietnamese entrepreneurs during the period of accelerated industrialization, modernization and international integration has been issued, along with Resolution 41 on building and promoting the role of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the new period.

More recently, the Politburo adopted Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation; Resolution 59 on international integration in the new situation; Resolution 66 on reforming lawmaking and law enforcement to meet the requirements of national development in the new era; Resolution 68 on private sector development; and Resolution 79 on state sector development.

These are all pillar resolutions that provide orientations for building and shaping an environment for the development of national enterprises.

According to Nguyen Thi Khuyen, Director of Nasaki Vietnam Co., Ltd., a national enterprise is not defined solely by its registered nationality. It is a business that places national interests, the community and Vietnamese workers at its foundation; remains self-reliant in mastering technology and value chains; and persistently builds a Vietnamese brand based on quality and credibility.

That spirit is reflected in a readiness to invest for the long term, to innovate, to take responsibility and to compete fairly without waiting for privileges, while refusing to stand aside in the domestic market.

“However, to build strong national enterprises, there must be a transparent, consistent and long-term policy environment, as businesses are very concerned about mid-course changes in policies and laws. Vietnamese products should be prioritized in public projects if they meet technical standards and offer competitive prices.

A national program is needed to elevate national enterprises, focusing on technology, governance and international brand building, and protecting the domestic market through technical, environmental and origin standards rather than extreme barriers. National enterprises need conditions to grow in a fair manner,” Khuyen said.

The concept of national enterprises has been discussed for many years. However, Prof. Dr. Vu Minh Giang, Chairman of the Council of Science and Training at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said what matters most is the effectiveness and substantive value a business brings to the country, rather than whether it is labeled a national enterprise.

“National enterprises should not be confined to large corporations, as that would inadvertently disadvantage small and medium-sized enterprises, which are highly dynamic and account for a large share of the economy. In the context of expanding international relations, retaining an old approach would create disadvantages for ourselves in global trade flows.

We should not rush to attach the title of national enterprise to any business, but focus on creating conditions and encouraging investment and development, enabling enterprises to achieve recognition and make the most effective contributions to the country,” Giang stressed.

Strategy for developing national enterprises

The aspiration for a strong and prosperous country by 2045 has been sparked by the pillar resolutions issued by the Politburo in 2024-2025 and early 2026.

The 2026-2030 period is pivotal in shaping the country’s future, making it essential to have national enterprises and an enterprise development ecosystem capable of turning that aspiration into reality.

According to Dr. Tran Du Lich, economist, a fair and healthy business environment is a crucial factor for enterprises to grow.

“We nurture enterprises through the business environment, not through support policies. There must be linkage policies to bring enterprises together to create strong national enterprise strength. Large and small enterprises should not be like potatoes in the same basket,” Lich said.

For national enterprises to grow strong and expand further, institutions must lead the way. Nguyen Dinh Cung, former Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management Research, now the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research under the Central Policy and Strategy Commission, said an appropriate institutional framework would expand development space and create opportunities for enterprises, thereby mobilizing social resources to serve development objectives.

“We have recognized that institutions are barriers and bottlenecks to national development in general and to enterprises in particular. Yet for many years we have not made breakthroughs; on the contrary, institutions have become bottlenecks. The reason lies in a legal system built on the mindset that management extends only to what is understood, and permission is granted only within what can be managed; what cannot be managed is prohibited. That mindset has resulted in numerous regulations and management tools, which in effect create administrative procedure barriers. This thinking must be decisively eliminated,” Cung stressed.

National enterprises shoulder the mission of advancing the country’s economic development. Vietnam already has successful enterprises, with many large groups operating globally. However, to form a strong force of national enterprises capable of leading other enterprises and value chains, and of laying the foundation for a self-reliant and resilient economy, a development strategy for national enterprises is needed,

Vietnam needs policies to develop national enterprises

Completing legal policies to support the development of national enterprises in Vietnam is not only an urgent task, but a decisive factor in achieving industrialisation and modernisation.

meaning that enterprise building must be placed at the level of national importance, with priority mechanisms and policies that create opportunities for enterprises to rise.

This requires a strong transformation from vision to institutional design, with transparent and open frameworks, flexible and fair public-private cooperation mechanisms, modern and humane corporate governance; moving from creating economic value to creating national value, so as to nurture and inspire a generation of national entrepreneurs who dare to think, dare to act, dare to take responsibility and dare to pioneer for the national interest.