
PERSONAL ID NUMBERS TO REPLACE TAX CODES FROM JULY 1
Personal identification numbers (PINs) will be used in place of tax codes for individual taxpayers, including business households and individuals, starting July 1, according to guidance from the General Department of Taxation. Business households without a tax code before July 1 must register both business and tax information with the business registration authority.

OUTSTANDING LOANS AT HCMC BANKS TOP VND4.1 QUADRILLION
Total outstanding loans in HCMC’s banking system amounted to VND4.1 trillion as of the end of May, up 3.89% compared to the end of 2024 and 13.64% year-on-year. Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the State Bank of Vietnam’s Region 2 Branch, credit growth in HCMC during the first five months of 2025 was positive, outpacing the same period in the past two years.

INSURANCE COMPANIES ANTICIPATE GROWTH IN 2025
More than half of insurance companies expect the market to grow by 5-10 per cent this year, driven by the resonance of internal recovery and policy momentum, according to a survey by Vietnam Report. The information was updated by Vietnam Report JSC at the event announcing the Top 10 prestigious insurance companies this year.

AGRICULTURAL LAND TAX EXEMPTION MOTIVATES BUSINESS
Extending exemptions for agricultural land use tax is expected to create motivation for businesses to expand and renovate their investments in Vietnam. The government has proposed that agricultural land use continue to be exempted from taxation through to 2030, according to a draft resolution on the issue submitted in mid-May to the National Assembly (NA).

BANKING INDUSTRY PROMOTES DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FOR SMART DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM
Many credit institutions in Việt Nam have achieved a digital transaction rate of more than 95 per cent. Nearly 87 per cent of Vietnamese adults have bank accounts. The digital transformation of the banking industry must be further promoted to better the connection between commercial banks with people, enterprises and the State, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính said at a banking event on Thursday.

POLICY BOOST URGED AS FINANCIAL LEASING HITS VNĐ40.7 TRILLION IN Q1
Financial leasing reached nearly VNĐ40.7 trillion (US$1.6 billion) at the end of the first quarter of this year, representing an increase of 8.4 per cent year-on-year, Vietnam Financial Leasing Association (VFLE) said, urging solutions to promote the role of financial leasing in the economy. The increase came amid a complicated global landscape, with geopolitical pressures and spiralling trade tensions, but with a robust domestic market with a solid GDP growth of 6.93 per cent in the quarter, supported by strong public investment and a trade surplus of $5 billion.

BANKING SECTOR STEPS UP ACTION PLAN TO BOOST GREEN CREDIT
At the workshop, on promoting the implementation of the plan organised by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), the GIZ Vietnam and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Hà Nội, the SBV’s Deputy Governor Đào Minh Tú said: “Green growth is no longer an option, but has become an urgent necessity, especially for developing countries like Việt Nam.

VIETNAM SETS UP COMMITTEE TO BUILD INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE
The Vietnamese government has reiterated its strong commitment to developing an international financial centre by announcing the establishment of the Steering Committee for Regional and International Financial Centre in Vietnam, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. PM Chinh signed a decision dated May 20 approving the list of members for the committee.