Category: Vietnam – General

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

VIETNAM – THE ECONOMIC COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INVITED DR. OLIVER MASSMANN TO COMMENT AND SUGGEST ON THE NEW DRAFT LAW ON PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. DR. OLIVER MASSMANN PRESENTED IN VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE AND RECEIVED EXCELLENT FEEDBACK FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Dr. Oliver Massmann’s speech:

The number of successfully implemented PPP projects in Vietnam is very limited, to be frank, too low.
Số lượng các dự án PPP được thực hiện thành công tại Việt Nam rất hạn chế, phải thẳng thắn, quá thấp.

Having worked on many legal PPP reform projects in the last 20 years in Vietnam, I conclude that there are three critical issues the Vietnamese Government has to confront and they are not legal issues at all.
Đã làm việc trong nhiều dự án cải cách PPP hợp pháp trong 20 năm qua tại Việt Nam, tôi kết luận rằng có ba vấn đề quan trọng mà Chính phủ Việt Nam phải đối mặt và chúng hoàn toàn không phải là vấn đề pháp lý.

Vietnam needs PPP laws. But these laws are only as good as the Political Will to enforce them.
Việt Nam cần luật PPP. Nhưng những luật này chỉ tốt như ý chí chính trị để thực thi chúng.

The Political Will to implement PPP projects in Vietnam is lacking!
Ý chí chính trị để thực hiện các dự án PPP tại Việt Nam còn thiếu!

The first issue is Political Will. So what is Political Will?
Vấn đề đầu tiên là ý chí chính trị, vậy ý chí chính trị là gì?

Political Will is Collective Will. Collective Will is essential for the supervision and successful implementation of PPP projects in Vietnam.
Ý chí chính trị là ý chí tập thể. Ý chí tập thể là điều cần thiết cho việc giám sát và thực hiện thành công các dự án PPP tại Việt Nam.

For example, clean water is an asset. It has to be paid for. Vietnam is lacking funds. Thus Vietnam needs successful foreign-financed BOT water projects, and the collective will of the Vietnamese people to pay for clean water.
Ví dụ, nước sạch là một tài sản. Nó phải được trả tiền cho. Việt Nam đang thiếu vốn. Do đó, Việt Nam cần các dự án tài trợ nước ngoài BOT thành công, và ý chí tập thể của người dân Việt Nam về việc phải trả tiền cho nguồn nước sạch.

Energy has to be paid for and Vietnam cannot pay for all the amount of energy it needs. Thus there have to be successful foreign-financed Energy PPP projects, and the collective will of the Vietnamese people to pay for energy.
Năng lượng phải được mua và Việt Nam không thể trả cho tất cả những gì chúng ta cần. Do đó, phải có các dự án năng lượng PPP tài trợ nước ngoài thành công, và ý chí tập thể của người dân Việt Nam về việc phải trả tiền để có năng lượng.

The second issue is Bankability of PPP contracts.
Vấn đề thứ hai là Khả năng thanh toán của các hợp đồng PPP.

What foreign investors care about most is financial closure.
Điều mà các nhà đầu tư nước ngoài quan tâm nhất là việc hoàn tất các thủ tục tài chính.

Lenders will carry out detailed due diligence on the project before handing out money, and investors must be able to show bankable PPP contracts.
Người cho vay sẽ thực hiện thẩm định chi tiết về dự án trước khi giao tiền cho nhà đầu tư, và nhà đầu tư phải xuất trình được hợp đồng PPP có thể giao dịch được.

A positive point of the Draft PPP Law is it includes boilerplate clauses on lender step-in right and international arbitration. However, the clause on Government Guarantee on Revenue Risk Sharing Mechanism must be further examined.
Một điểm tích cực của dự thảo luật PPP là nó bao gồm các điều khoản tiêu chuẩn về quyền của bên cho vay và việc giải quyết các tranh chấp trên trường quốc tế. Tuy nhiên, điều khoản về Bảo đảm của Chính phủ về Cơ chế chia sẻ rủi ro doanh thu phải được xem xét thêm.

The Government of Vietnam has very limited foreign exchange reserve compared to what’s needed for construction of infrastructure. If a project reports a loss of 5 billion USD, how will the government repay the investor?
Chính phủ Việt Nam có dự trữ ngoại hối rất hạn chế so với những gì mà chúng ta cần để xây dựng cơ sở hạ tầng. Nếu một dự án báo lỗ 5 tỷ USD, chính phủ sẽ trả nợ cho nhà đầu tư như thế nào?

In order to achieve the goal of sustainable PPP development, the private sector and government should create win-win solutions and share loss equally.
Để đạt được mục tiêu phát triển PPP bền vững, khu vực tư nhân và chính phủ nên tạo ra các giải pháp cùng có lợi khi chia sẻ thua lỗ và chia sẻ thua lỗ bằng nhau.

The third issue is Systemic issues.
Vấn đề thứ ba là Các vấn đề về hệ thống.

One of the most prominent systemic issues is lengthy government procedures. There are none one-stop-for-all laws or regulations on all the approvals that investors need to acquire in order to execute a project.
Một trong những vấn đề về hệ thống nổi bật nhất là thủ tục hành chính rườm rà. Không có luật pháp nào liệt kê một lúc tất cả các phê duyệt mà nhà đầu tư cần có để thực hiện dự án của mình.

Also, under the draft PPP law, the foreign currency balance scheme is only applicable to projects subject to decision on investment policy granted by the National Assembly and the Prime Minister, with a ceiling of 30%. Mostly very large-scale energy projects fall under this requirement. Government should extend the scope of projects eligible for foreign currency balance in order to attract more private investors.
Ngoài ra, theo dự thảo luật PPP, kế hoạch cân bằng ngoại tệ chỉ được áp dụng cho các dự án có quyết định về chính sách đầu tư do Quốc hội và Thủ tướng ban hành, với mức trần 30%. Như vậy chủ yếu các dự án năng lượng có quy mô rất lớn mới đủ điều kiện. Chính phủ nên mở rộng phạm vi các dự án đủ điều kiện cân bằng ngoại tệ để thu hút thêm các nhà đầu tư tư nhân.

In my opinion, these are the three most critical issues concerning the Draft PPP Law at the moment. Government must make effort to balance their interest with that of foreign investors in order to create a sustainable PPP development environment in Vietnam.
Theo tôi, đây là ba vấn đề quan trọng nhất liên quan đến luật dự thảo PPP tại thời điểm này. Chính phủ phải nỗ lực để cân bằng lợi ích của họ với các nhà đầu tư nước ngoài để tạo ra một môi trường phát triển PPP bền vững tại Việt Nam.

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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.

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

VIETNAM – MOIT PROPOSES EXTENSION OF CURRENT FiT RATE FOR WIND POWER PROJECTS

On 8 May 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Official Letter No.3299/BCT-DL (“the Letter”) on supplementation of wind power projects into the Power Development Planning.

Notable provisions of the Letter:

1. EVN records a 8,6% increase in electricity demand each year, and suspect the possibility of power shortage, especially in 2023, if the Government doesn’t immediately implement measures such as increase development in the renewable energy sector, increase electricity import from countries in the area, etc.;

2. Most thermal power sources are 1-2 years behind schedule, even some projects are delayed by 4-5 years;

3. As solutions for the possible power shortage issue, EVN suggests that the Government promote the development of renewable energy sources and increase electricity import from China;

4. MOIT is reviewing the possibility of supplementing the Power Development Planning VII adjusted to the ability to release and balance supply and demand to report to the Prime Minister;

5. MOIT is expecting to develop renewable energy centers in areas with good wind potential and are capable of releasing capacity (when new transmission capacity is added);

6. The current FiT rate expires on November 2021; MOIT proposes to extend this deadline to 31 December 2023;

7. After 2023, MOIT proposes wind energy projects to apply auction, bidding methods;

8. MOIT to assume the responsibility of calculating new FiT rate for wind power projects, applicable from 1 November 2021 to 31 December 2023 in case the Prime Minister doesn’t agree to extend the current FiT rate.

It can be seen that the Government has continuously encouraged the development of wind and solar power projects – the most recent is the issuance of Decision No.13/2020/QD-TTg that published the new, attractive FiT rate for solar power plants. In other words, there are a lot of rooms for investors looking to participate in renewable energy development

To promote the development of renewable energy sources is a feasible and effective solutions to counter power shortage issue because renewable energy projects can be constructed quickly and promptly for operation in the period of 2021-2023, while taking advantage of the country’s natural potential without relying on imported fuels and is eco-friendly.

The need to extend the deadline for current FiT rate is essential because the projects waiting to be included in the Revised PDP VIII is unlikely to have commercial operation date before November 2021, because:

1. The supplement into PDP for new wind power sources was suspended for more than 1 year (from October 2018) because there were no guidelines to implement the Planning Law;

2. The construction of wind power projects takes more time than that of solar power projects. For feasibility study reports, investors must carry out wind measurement for at least 12 months. Moreover, wind turbines are mostly imported from abroad, which costs investor extra time, especially there is unexpected delay of equipment delivery.

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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.

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

VIETNAM – SOLAR POWER – MOIT PUBLISHES DRAFT CIRCULAR ON PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND STANDARDIZED POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS FOR SOLAR POWER PROJECTS

The Ministry of Industry and Trade recently published a Draft Circular on Project Development and Standardized Power Purchase Agreement for both grid-connected and rooftop solar power projects (“the Draft”). After publishing new solar power purchase prices under Decision 13/2020/QD-TTg (“Decision 13”), the Draft is another move of MOIT to replace Circular 16 that failed to address necessary changes in PPA terms. The Draft is anticipated to takes effect in June 2020, but note that there’s not yet any official announcement on this. Also, with Decision 13’s price being effective until 31 December 2020 only, this raised questions on the effectiveness of laws and regulations in Vietnam on in the long run.

Notable provisions of the Draft Circular:

v Upon specific conditions and technical requirements of each individual rooftop solar power system, the Seller and the Buyer shall decide the chronology of items and tasks implementation sequence.

v Beside the contents stipulated in the standardized PPA, the Seller and the Buyer are only allowed to supplement contents for clarification of responsibilities and power of each party. Supplementary contents must be consistent with contents of the standardized PPA.

v If grid-connected solar power projects and rooftop solar power systems have commercial operation date between, and including, 1 July 2019 and the effective date of the Draft, the Seller and the Buyer are allowed to revise and sign the PPA based on the new standardized PPA in the Draft.

v Operational plan

a) Before or on the date of performance of the PPA for grid-connected projects, the Seller provides the Buyer with the chart of annual power generation capacity at the connection point by months in line with the appraised design;

b) Before every November 30th, the Seller provides the Buyer with the power generation plan of the following year, including:

_ Monthly operational plan in the year (power output and available capacity);
_The monthly plant repair and maintenance schedule in the year (if any).

Overall, the new standardized PPA for grid-connected solar power projects does not mitigate the problems already existed in the current template under Circular 16, namely:

v The PPA does not impose a clear “take or pay” obligation on Buyer and so does not assure Seller a guaranteed revenue stream and adequate return. Buyer has the right not to purchase power in certain circumstances (Seller is in breach of the Agreement, Buyer is instructed by the regulator not to purchase power, force majeure). We note that this is not realistic in practice and note that the main issue here is curtailment, which mostly occurred due to overload of grid. Thus to alleviate this problem, Buyer and Seller need to undertake thorough grid studies to ensure the effectiveness of the project in the future.

v Electricity purchase price is the one outlined in Article 5 of Decision 13/2020/QD-CP, which is applicable to projects that obtained Decision on Investment Policy before 23 November 2019 and have COD between 1 July 2019 and 31 December 2020. With the deadline approaching by the end of this year, investors have been hurry to finalize every steps of the project as per the approved schedule with EVN, and the attractive FiT rate also attracts foreign investors to invest in Vietnam fast. However, in the past few months, regions where there’s high level of concentration of solar power projects, have experienced problems of grid-overcapacity is anticipated to be solved by 2021. This issue leads to the question whether the signing of PPA with developers at this point is beneficial if due to grid-overload, power plants will not be able to operate at full capacity which will lead to machine erosion/breakdown and financial loss to investors?

v The PPA provides simple provisions relating to Force Majeure Event and does not distinguish natural force majeure event (Non-Governmental Force Majeure Event), and force majeure event due to political issues (Governmental Force Majeure Event). As EVN is a State-owned company, there may be possibility that EVN relies on Government Event to repudiate its obligation under the PPA, especially payment obligations. Accordingly, it is recommended to distinguish these two types of force majeure events with a view to ensuring that Governmental Force Majeure Event – including change in law or tax regimes – will not be used by EVN as an excuse to its obligations.

v Regarding compensation of damages, the violating party must demonstrate damages and consequential loss, which is quiet difficult as these will mostly based on estimation. As a result, it may be preferable not to terminate the PPA in case of breach by the Buyer and instead continue to insist upon performance without triggering this cap on compensation. In that case, the Buyer would be obliged pursuant to general Vietnam law principles to compensate Seller for damages directly caused by the breach (including loss of profits). In this case, there is no specific cap and the obligation would be to compensate for actual direct losses caused. However, this obligation is not expressed in the PPA as an “indemnity” obligation, but rather a general Vietnam law obligation to compensate following breach of contract. The party claiming the breach would be obliged to prove the losses and also to mitigate losses.

v There is currently no precedent of Buyer being sued for damages under the standard form PPA. The dispute resolution terms of the PPA expressly provide for local dispute resolution and, as a matter of practice, this makes it very challenging to claim against Buyer.

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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.

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

LAWYER IN VIETNAM DR. OLIVER MASSMANN KEY COMMENTS ON DRAFT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP LAW DATED 5 MARCH 2020 (“PPP DRAFT”)

1. Positive:

– Eligible Sectors (Art. 5): business sectors, which are qualified for investment in PPP form, have been selectively considered and proposed, not as broad as the those under Decree 63/2018/ND-CP (“Decree 63”). This would help to concentrate the valuable resources and finance on efficient and necessary sectors. However, please refer to our notes on incompletion of this clause in the Negative Section as below.

– Language (Art. 34): language for selection of international investor may be in both Vietnamese and English.

– Step-in rights of lenders (Art. 55): Lenders have rights to take over the project and propose another investor to continue the project. This provision has addressed the constraints that inhibit cross-border financing will be essential for diversifying sources of funding for energy-sector investments. International financing can provide for both the electricity and midstream gas sectors in terms of longer tenors and fixed-interest rates, which domestic capital market cannot satisfy.

– Guarantee on Foreign Currency Conversion (Art. 82): it is positive that the PPP Draft still remains this guarantee regime, as the one under Decree 63. However, the scope and conditions to enjoy this are very limited and do not meet the expectation from the investors as discussed in the Negative Section as below.

– Revenue risk sharing (Art. 83): it is indeed a very bold proposal in the PPP Draft that enabling the State to share the revenue loss of investors, subject to certain conditions and qualifications. Though we have few comments on the scope of this mechanism as below. We highly appreciate that the drafter has tried to address one of current issues of PPP form, i.e., non bankability and high risk.

– Dispute Resolution (Art. 104): the relevant provision on dispute resolutions have been improved in comparison with those of Decree 63. In brief, it is crystal clear now disputes between investors involving at least a foreign investor and / or disputes between investors / PPP project company with foreign parties could be resolved by either local courts / arbitration and / or foreign or international arbitration. In terms of disputes between the state and investors / project company, the PPP Draft has in-principle required local courts / arbitration but enabled other agreement between the parties in the project contracts and / or otherwise provided by international treaties of Vietnam. This is a significant improvement as Vietnam has signed several major international treaties such as CPTPP and EVFTA. We give to your attention the advantage of some international treaties as below:

“The CPTPP and the EVFTA make it possible that foreign investors could sue Vietnam Government for its decisions according to the dispute settlement by arbitration rules. The violating party must take all necessary measures to promptly comply with the arbitral decision. In case of non-compliance, as in the WTO, the CPTPP and the EVFTA allow temporary remedies (compensation) at the request of the complaining party. The final arbitral award is binding and enforceable without any question from the local courts regarding its validity. This is an advantage for investors considering the fact that the percentage of annulled foreign arbitral awards in Vietnam remains relatively high for different reasons. It is crucial that foreign investors now could take advantage of the requirements under the CPTPP and the EVFTA (as also recognized by the PPP Draft) to enhance functionality of their PPP projects in Vietnam. In case these entities make wrongful decisions, foreign investors could take recourse to arbitration proceedings and have the arbitral awards fully enforced in Vietnam.”

2. Negative:

1. Art. 5 The scope of sectors eligible for PPP investment form is not crystal clear and need further guidance from the Government and Ministries. For example, in terms of power projects, in practice some major profile thermal power projects have been implemented in cooperation with the Government under the Build – Operate – Transfer (BOT) umbrella (a form of public private partnership (PPP), it appears that the Government would not offer this kind of treatment for renewable energy projects at large (except, perhaps in theory, for very large and prominent ones).

Foreign investors (most of them engaging small scale projects) do not prefer PPP structure for their power plant projects, due to complexity of this structure and the lack of clear guidance, especially feed-in-tariff and consequently bankability. However, on the contrary, BOT seems to be suitable for larger scale projects and often give investors a better position to negotiate with the Government on key project indicators at the outset, which may not be available in other investment platforms.

Recommendation: Consider clarification on the scope and scale of power projects eligible for PPP form. In addition, for large scale power projects, it is crucial to enable all sub-projects of a mega power project could be together invested in the PPP form. For example, a LNG-to-power project could only be efficiently invested with other sub-projects such as terminal, FSRU, pipelines, etc.

2. Art. 47 Lack of clear and bankable terms of PPP contract. It is critical that an international form of bankable PPP contract is provided in the PPP Draft. Other related transaction agreements could be further developed as agreed by the parties but bankable templates should be drafted and attached to the guideline for implementation of PPP Draft.

Recommendation Terms and conditions of PPP contract are too general and vague.

Considering to provide a bankable PPP contract template in the PPP Draft or in the guiding decree / circular for PPP Draft.

3. Art. 57 It is not reasonable for forcing governing law to be the Vietnamese law. Especially, Vietnam has signed several international treaties and in principle allowed rules of such international treaties to be applied in PPP projects.

It is an international norm and feasible for a foreign related transactions to be governed by foreign law of a third country (not Vietnam or investor’s country) to the extent certain specific areas / agreements must be in compliance with Vietnamese law such as land regime, taxes, etc.

Recommendation: Considering for the parties to agree on the governing law of a third country (not Vietnam or investor’s country, e.g., Singapore law) to the extent certain specific areas / agreements must be in compliance with Vietnamese law such as land regime, taxes, etc.

4. Art. 80 The investment incentives are underdeveloped and quite similar as those provided under Decree 63. This is a safe approach but it would confuse the investors on the incentives and how to enjoy them under the PPP Draft.

Recommendation: Considering not referring to other laws and regulations on determination of investment, land and tax incentives for PPP forms.

For example, at least the PPP Draft should determine whether the PPP project could enjoy incentives such as an encouraged investment project or special encouraged investment project, etc.

5. Art.82 The conditions for foreign currency balance is very limited. As discussed above, only large scale projects prefer and may satisfy conditions of PPP investment forms. Thus, the scope for application of this foreign currency balance would need to be extended to all PPP projects, or at least for power projects and grid projects.

Foreign currency balance ensuring scheme is only applicable to projects subject to investment policy decision of the Nation Assembly and Prime Minister. In addition, there is a ceiling of 30% to be imposed.

In practice, several projects could not reach financial closure as scheduled because they cannot agree with the government about the convertibility of profits earned in local currency into foreign exchange for repatriation and payment for input commodities (coal, gas).

The demand for foreign currency associated with BOT projects and associated tariff revenues to be covered in the energy sector could escalate dramatically through 2030, up to US$23 billion/annually by 2030.

Recommendation: Considering to extend the scope eligible for foreign currency balance.

Foreign exchange convertibility has been a concern among investors. In the absence of such government convertibility guarantees, there is limited availability of currency hedging instruments that would allow private investors to cover currency risks through the market. The assurance on the availability of foreign currency shall definitely facilitate investment procedures. The ceiling of 30% should be removed as well.

Government guarantees for other obligations such as off-taker obligations and obligations towards infrastructure, payment obligations (including deemed commissioning and termination payments), etc. depending on projects.

6. Art. 83 Revenue risk sharing mechanism: (i) the investors, PPP project enterprises shall share with the State 50% of the increase between actual revenue and committed revenue in the contract; and (ii) the State shall share with the investors, the PPP project enterprises 50% of the decrease between actual revenue and committed revenue in the contract if, inter alia, the project does not use state’s budget and the cause of the loss is the change of policies, laws.

Recommendation: The risk sharing mechanism should be further developed to cover all other risks that may arise during the implementation of the PPP project (e.g., force majeure, change in law, price fluctuation, low selling price, etc.)

7. N/A Long negotiation process: it is due to several issues: (i) no clear list of approvals for the Project to be ready-to-build and / or operation, (ii) land site clearance and compensation process is still very challenging, (iii) not all decisions / procedures having a clear time-limit.

Recommendation: Recommending to provide all time-limits for all decisions / procedures and it is deemed to be provided if the state authority fails to issue such decisions. In addition, it is recommended to have a basic ready-to-build approval list for the investors to pursue and operate the PPP projects.

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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.

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

RECHTSANWALT IN VIETNAM DR. OLIVER MASSMANN UEBER FREIHANDELSABKOMMEN UND INVESTITIONSSCHUTZABKOMMEN EU-VIETNAM – WEITESTGEHEND LIBERALISIERTER MARKTZUGANG FÜR DIENSTLEISTUNGSSEKTOREN UND UNÜBERTROFFENE RECHTSSICHERHEIT:

I. ÜBERBLICK

Am 2. Dezember 2015, nach fast drei Jahren und 14 Verhandlungsrunden, gaben Präsident DonaldTusk, Präsident Jean-Claude Juncker und der vietnamesische Premierminister Nguyen Tan Dung denAbschluss der Verhandlungen über das Freihandelsabkommen EU-Vietnam (EVFTA) bekannt.EVFTA ist ein Freihandelsabkommen der neuen Generation zwischen Vietnam und der EU. Am 26.Juni 2018 wurde EVFTA in zwei separate Abkommen aufgeteilt: das Freihandelsabkommen(EVFTA) und das Investitionsschutzabkommen (EVIPA). Im August 2018 schlossen die EU undVietnam die rechtliche Überprüfung EVFTA ab, wobei diese noch die Ratifizierung durch denEuropäischen Rat sowie die Zustimmung des Europäischen Parlaments benötigt, während die EVIPAnoch die zusätzliche Ratifizierung durch die Parlamente der einzelnen EU-Mitgliedstaaten erfordert.Am 30. Juni 2019 wurde in Hanoi EVFTA und EVIPA von der EU-Handelskommissarin CeciliaMalmstrom, dem rumänischen Wirtschaftsminister Stefan-Radu Oprea als Vertreter der EU,zusammen mit H.E. Premierminister Nguyen Xuan Phuc und vietnamesischen Regierungschefs,unterzeichnet. Der Premierminister brachte dabei seine Überzeugung zum Ausdruck, dass dasEuropäische Parlament, die Parlamente der EU-Mitgliedstaaten und die vietnamesischeNationalversammlung EVFTA und EVIPA bald ratifizieren werden. Beide Handels- undInvestitionsabkommen wurden am 12. Februar vom Europäischen Parlament gebilligt. Am 30. März2020 wurde EVFTA dann vom EU-Rat genehmigt, so dass die Umsetzung der EVFTA unmittelbarbevorsteht, sofern die vietnamesische Nationalversammlung auf ihrer Sitzung im Mai ihreZustimmung erteilt. Ein Inkrafttreten der EVFTA im Frühsommer diesen Jahres ist daherwahrscheinlich. Anders jedoch bei der EVIPA, welche für das Inkrafttreten von den Parlamenten derMitgliedstaaten gebilligt werden muss und daher länger dauern wird. Beide Abkommen werden voraussichtlich erhebliche Vorteile für Unternehmen, Arbeitnehmer undVerbraucher, sowohl in der EU als auch in Vietnam, mit sich bringen. Das vietnamesische BIP wirddabei voraussichtlich um 10 bis 15 Prozent steigen, während für die Exporte in den nächsten zehnJahren ein Wachstum von 30 bis 40 Prozent zu erwarten ist. In der Zwischenzeit könnten dieReallöhne von Facharbeitern um bis zu 12 Prozent steigen, während sich die Gehälter der einfachenArbeiter um 13 Prozent erhöhen würden. Sobald EVFTA in Kraft getreten ist und dieRegierungspolitik und die institutionellen Reformen diese umgesetzt haben, werden VietnamsGeschäftsaktivitäten einen Boom erleben. Dennoch bleiben einige Herausforderungen weiterhinbestehen. In dem folgenden Kapitel wird der Rechtsausschuss von EuroCham die für ihre jeweiligenBranchen relevanten Themen aufzeigen und spezifische Empfehlungen aussprechen, um bestehendenBedenken Rechnung zu tragen.

II. MARKTZUGANG FÜR WAREN- UND DIENSTLEISTUNGEN

1. Allgemeiner Marktzugang für Waren- und Dienstleistungen

EVFTA ist das umfassendste und ehrgeizigste Handels- und Investitionsabkommen, welches die EUjemals mit einem asiatischen Entwicklungsland geschlossen hat. Es ist nach dem mit Singapurgeschlossenen Abkommen, das Zweite in der ASEAN-Region und wird die bilateralen Beziehungenzwischen Vietnam und der EU intensivieren. Vietnam wird dadurch Zugang zu einem potenziellenMarkt von rund 446 Millionen Menschen und einem Gesamt-BIP von 13.918 Milliarden US-Dollarhaben.Weiterhin werden Exporteure und Investoren aus der EU weitere Möglichkeiten haben, Zugang zueinem der größten und schnellsten wachsenden Länder der Region zu erhalten. Einem Anfang desJahres 2017 veröffentlichten Bericht zufolge, der 134 Städte weltweit umfasst, gehören Hanoi undHo-Chi-Minh-Stadt zu den zehn dynamischsten Städten. Nicht zuletzt aufgrund ihrer niedrigenKosten, der raschen Expansion des Verbrauchermarktes, des starken Bevölkerungswachstums und desÜbergangs zu Aktivitäten, welche eine beträchtliche Anzahl von Direktinvestoren anziehen. NachAngaben der Weltbank hat Vietnam mit einem BIP-Wachstum von 7,1% im Jahr 2018 und 6,7% zurJahresmitte 2019, eine der am schnellsten wachsenden Volkswirtschaften der Welt. Vergleichsweisezum Wachstum des BIP der USA, steigt das BIP Vietnams dabei fast doppelt so schnell.Darüber hinaus hat Vietnam die am schnellsten wachsende Mittelschicht der Region. Es wirderwartet, dass sich ihre Größe zwischen 2014 und 2020 fast verdoppeln wird (von 12 Millionen auf 33Millionen Menschen). Auch die superreiche Bevölkerung Vietnams wächst weltweit so rasant wiekeine andere und es besteht kein Zweifel daran, dass diese in den nächsten zehn Jahren zunehmendgrößer werden wird.2. Marktzugang für WarenBezüglich der Zölle ist zu beachten, dass nahezu alle, nämlich über 99 Prozent, entfallen werden.Diewenigen verbleibenden werden durch zollfreie Kontingente teilweise liberalisiert. Bei Inkrafttretendes Abkommens wird Vietnam als Entwicklungsland 65 Prozent des Wertes der EU-Exporte nachVietnam liberalisieren, welches etwa der Hälfte der Zolltarifpositionen entspricht. Die verbleibendenZölle werden im Laufe der nächsten zehn Jahre abgebaut. Dies stellt eine beispiellose, weitreichendeZollabschaffung für ein Land wie Vietnam dar, welches damit sein Streben nach einer tiefgreifendenIntegration und Handelsbeziehungen mit der EU unter Beweis stellt.In der Zwischenzeit stimmte die EU zu, die Zölle für 84 Prozent der Zolltarifpositionen und 71Prozent ihres Handelswerts für aus Vietnam eingeführte Waren unmittelbar nach Inkrafttreten vonEVFTA zu beseitigen. Innerhalb von 7 Jahren nach Inkrafttreten von EVFTA werden mehr als 99Prozent der Zolllinien für Vietnam abgeschafft worden sein. Im Vergleich zu der Reduzierung derZolllinien in Höhe von 95 Prozent, welche die ehemaligen TPP-Länder für vietnamesische Importeangeboten haben, ist diese Senkung weitaus umfassender. In der ASEAN-Region ist Vietnam derHauptexporteur von Waren in die EU. Allerdings ist der Marktanteil der vietnamesischen Produkte inder EU ist immer noch gering. Die am meisten von der EVFTA profitierenden Sektoren, werden dieseExportsektoren sein, für die früher hohe Zölle aus der EU erhoben wurden, wie beispielsweise solchefür Textilien, Schuhe und landwirtschaftliche Erzeugnisse. Die EU ist dabei auch ein guter Start fürVietnam, um andere Märkte zu erreichen.
Vietnam wird im Vergleich zu anderen derartigen Abkommen stärker von EVFTA profitieren, daVietnam und die EU als zwei sich unterstützende und ergänzende Märkte angesehen werden. Vietnamexportiert nämlich Waren, die die EU nicht selbst herstellt bzw. herstellen kann (z. B.Fischereierzeugnisse, tropische Früchte usw.), während die aus der EU importierten Produkte auchsolche sind, die Vietnam nicht im Inland produziert, darunter Maschinen, Flugzeuge und hochwertigepharmazeutische Produkte.Mit einem besseren Marktzugang für Waren aus der EU könnten vietnamesische Unternehmeneuropäische Materialien, Technologien und Ausrüstungen zu einer besseren Qualität und einembesseren Preis beziehen. Dies wiederum wird die eigene Produktqualität verbessern und eineübermäßige Abhängigkeit Vietnams von seinen anderen Haupthandelspartnern verringern.EVFTA wird als Grundlage für die EU angesehen, um weitere Freihandelsabkommen mit anderenLändern in der ASEAN-Region abzuschließen, um darauf folgend, ein Freihandelsabkommen vonRegion zu Region abzuschließen, sobald genügend Freihandelsabkommen mit einzelnen ASEAN-Ländern abgeschlossen wurden. Dieser Prozess könnte etwa 10-15 Jahre dauern. Vietnam sollte daherdieses Zeitfenster als Chance nutzen sich zu einem regionalen Drehkreuz zu entwickeln, bevorFreihandelsabkommen mit anderen Ländern in der Region geschlossen werden und in Kraft treten. 3. Marktzugang für EU-DienstleisterObwohl die WTO-Verpflichtungen Vietnams als Grundlage für die Dienstleistungsverpflichtungenvon EVFTA dienen, hat Vietnam nicht nur zusätzliche Teilsektoren für EU-Dienstleistungsanbietergeöffnet, sondern ist auch Verpflichtungen eingegangen, die über die in der WTO festgelegtenhinausgehen, um der EU den bestmöglichen Zugang zum vietnamesischen Markt zu bieten. Zu denTeilsektoren, die nicht Bestandteil der WTO sind, in denen Vietnam jedoch Verpflichtungen imRahmen der EVFTA eingegangen ist, gehören interdisziplinäre Forschungs- und Entwicklungsdienste(F & E); Pflegedienste, Physiotherapeuten und paramedizinisches Personal;Verpackungsdienstleistungen; Messen und Ausstellungen sowie Gebäudereinigungsdienste.Wenn diese Dienstleistungen internationale Standards erreichen, hat Vietnam die Möglichkeit,qualitativ hochwertige Dienstleistungen zu exportieren, welches nicht nur zu einer Steigerung desExportwertes, sondern auch der Exporteffizienz führt und somit zur Verbesserung der Handelsbilanzbeiträgt.III. ÖFFENTLICHES BESCHAFFUNGSWESENVietnam hat weltweit eine der höchsten Quoten der öffentlichen Investitionen im Verhältnis zum BIP(39 Prozent jährlich ab 1995). Bis jetzt hat Vietnam jedoch noch nicht zugestimmt, dass seinöffentliches Beschaffungswesen unter das Übereinkommen über das öffentliche Beschaffungswesen(GPA) der WTO fällt. Nun hat sich Vietnam erstmalig im EVFTA dazu verpflichtet.Die EVFTA-Verpflichtungen im Bereich des öffentlichen Beschaffungswesens betreffen in ersterLinie die Verpflichtung, Bieter aus der EU oder inländische Bieter mit EU-Investitionskapital gleichzu behandeln wie vietnamesische Bieter, wenn die Regierung Waren erwirbt oder eine Dienstleistunganfordert, deren Wert über dem festgelegten Schwellenwert liegt. Vietnam verpflichtet sich, die
allgemeinen Grundsätze der Inländerbehandlung und Nichtdiskriminierung zu befolgen. Es wirdInformationen über geplante Beschaffungen und Informationen zu der Auftragsvergabe in Bao DauThau – Zeitung für öffentliche Aufträge – sowie Informationen über das Beschaffungssystem untermuasamcong.mpi.gov.vn und im Amtsblatt rechtzeitig veröffentlichen. Außerdem wird denLieferanten ausreichend Zeit eingeräumt, um Anträge auf deren Teilnahme und reagierende Angebotevorzubereiten und einzureichen und die Vertraulichkeit der Angebote zu wahren. EVFTA verlangtvon seinen Parteien auch, dass sie Angebote auf der Grundlage fairer und objektiver Prinzipienbewerten, diese nur auf der Grundlage von Kriterien bewerten und vergeben, die inBekanntmachungen und Ausschreibungsunterlagen festgelegt sind, und ein wirksames System fürBeschwerden und die Beilegung von Streitigkeiten schaffen. Diese Regeln verpflichten die Parteien,sicherzustellen, dass ihre Ausschreibungsverfahren den Verpflichtungen entsprechen und ihre eigenenInteressen schützen. Auf diese Weise kann Vietnam das Problem lösen, dass Angebote von billigen,aber qualitativ minderwertigen Dienstleistern gewonnen werden.Die öffentliche Beschaffung von Gütern oder Dienstleistungen oder einer Kombination davon, die diefolgenden Kriterien erfüllen, fällt in den Geltungsbereich der EVFTA-Regeln für die öffentlicheBeschaffung:KriterienEVFTAGeldwerte, die bestimmen, ob dieBeschaffung durch dieZentralregierung unter einAbkommen fälltAnfängliche Übergangsschwelle: 1,5 Millionen SZR (2,23Millionen US-Dollar)Nach 15 Jahren 130.000 Sonderziehungsrechte (SDRs)(191.000 US-Dollar)Beschaffung von Bauleistungendurch zentrale RegierungsstellenAnfänglicher Schwellenwert: 40 Millionen SZR (58,77Millionen US-Dollar)Nach 15 Jahren 5 Millionen SDRs (7,35 Millionen US-Dollar)Erfasste Einrichtungen22 zentrale Regierungsstellen42 weitere Einrichtungen (darunter 2 staatlicheVersorgungsunternehmen, 2 Universitäten, 2Forschungsinstitute und 34 öffentliche Krankenhäuser unterder Kontrolle des Gesundheitsministeriums)Berichterstattung über die subzentrale Regierung:einschließlich Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh CityAusschluss von Präferenzen fürKMUBreiter Ausschluss
Schaffung von AusgleichenBasierend auf dem Wert eines AuftragsIV. BEILEGUNG VON INVESTITIONSSTREITIGKEITENInvestitionsstreitigkeiten könnten nun im Rahmen von EVIPA beigelegt werden. Bei solchenStreitigkeiten (z.B. entschädigungslose Enteignung oder Diskriminierung von Investitionen) kann einInvestor den Streitfall dem Investment Tribunal zur Beilegung vorlegen. Um die Fairness undUnabhängigkeit der Streitbeilegung zu gewährleisten, wird ein ständiges Tribunal aus 9 Mitgliedernbestehen: jeweils 3 Staatsangehörige, die aus der EU und Vietnam ernannt werden, sowie 3Staatsangehörige, die aus Drittländern ernannt werden. Die Fälle werden von einem dreiköpfigenTribunal verhandelt, das vom Vorsitzenden des Tribunals nach dem Zufallsprinzip ausgewählt wird.Damit soll auch eine kohärente Rechtsprechung in ähnlichen Fällen gewährleistet und dieStreitbeilegung vorhersehbarer gemacht werden. EVIPA lässt in einzelnen Fällen auch zu, dass eineinzelnes Mitglied des Tribunals die Streitigkeit verhandelt, wenn der Kläger ein kleines odermittleres Unternehmen ist oder die Entschädigung für geschädigte Forderungen relativ gering ist. Diesist ein flexibler Ansatz, wenn man bedenkt, dass Vietnam immer noch ein Entwicklungsland ist.Falls eine der Streitparteien mit der Entscheidung des Gerichts nicht einverstanden ist, kann sie beimBerufungsgericht Berufung einlegen. Dies unterscheidet sich zwar vom üblichen Schiedsverfahren, istjedoch dem zweistufigen Streitbeilegungsmechanismus in der WTO (Panel and Appellate Body) rechtähnlich. Dieser Mechanismus könnte, unserer Meinung nach, Zeit und Kosten für das gesamteVerfahren sparen könnte.Der endgültige Vergleich ist bindend und von den örtlichen Gerichten hinsichtlich seiner Gültigkeitdurchsetzbar, mit Ausnahme eines Zeitraums von fünf Jahren nach Inkrafttreten von EVIPA (sieheweitere Anmerkungen im Kapitel über den Rechtsweg des Rechtssektorkomitees).V.FAZITSobald EVFTA und EVIPA von Vietnam ratifiziert sind, werden sie ein nachhaltiges Wachstum undgegenseitige Vorteile in mehreren Sektoren schaffen und ein wirksames Instrument zum Ausgleichder Handelsbeziehungen zwischen der EU und Vietnam sein. Vietnam unternimmt kontinuierlicheAnstrengungen und Fortschritte, um die hohen Standards der beiden Freihandelsabkommen zuerfüllen, und bietet ausländischen Unternehmen in Vorbereitung auf den Abschluss derFreihandelsabkommen derzeit größere Möglichkeiten. Es ist jetzt an der Zeit, dass ausländischeInvestoren ihre Geschäftspläne in Angriff nehmen und die sich bietenden klaren Chancen nutzen.

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Bitte kontaktieren Sie den Autor Dr. Oliver Massmann, Generaldirektor von Duane Morris Vietnam LLC unter omassmann@duanemorris.com wenn Sie Fragen zu dem Inhalt haben. Dr. Oliver Massmann ist Mitglied des Aufsichrates der PetroVietnam JSC Holding und der einzige auslaendische Anwalt, der Vortraege in vietnamesischer Sprache vor den Mitgliedern der vietnamesischen Nationalversammlung haelt.

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

VIETNAM – MPI PROPOSES MEASURES TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES – PROMOTE DISBURSEMENT OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT CAPITAL AMID COVID-19

On 23rd April 2020, The Ministry of Planning and Investment issued Document No. 2640/BKHDT-TH to consult related government agencies on Draft resolution of the Government on solutions to remove difficulties for production and business, promote disbursement of public investment capital and ensure social order and safety in the context of COVID-19 (“the Draft”).

This is an effort of the Government in aiming to restore the power of Vietnam’s economy that has been negatively affected since the pandemic broke out in February.

The Draft focuses on 5 main topics, with key provisions as follow:

1. Reduce/Exempt tax:
– Exemption of guarantee fee arising in 2020 for government-guaranteed loans for aviation businesses;
– Reduction of lending interest rates for small and medium-sized enterprises which are prioritized by small and medium-sized enterprise development funds: reduce lending entrusted interest rates by around 3%; reducing direct and indirect lending interest rates by approximately 2%;
– Reduce 50% of corporate income tax for small and medium enterprises and cooperatives in 2020.
– Reduce/Exempt fees: 100% exemption of license fees in 2020 for affected business households. For those that paid, the amount paid is deducted from the obligation to pay license fees in the following year;
– 50% reduction in registration fee when registering for a car manufactured or assembled domestically by the end of 2020 to stimulate domestic consumption;
– 30% reduction in land rent for a period of 6 months for production and business establishments that have been stopped due to COVID-19.

2. Delay of tax payment time:
– Allow the postponement of special consumption tax payment for domestically manufactured cars until the end of September 2020 for amounts payable from March 2020;
– Allow deferred payment of VAT to the end of September 2020 for affected enterprises;
– Extension of the time for payment of export tax to the end of September 2020 for payables arising from March 2020;
– Extension of personal income tax payment to the end of September 2020 of individuals working in the affected businesses arising from March 2020;
– Extend the term of preferential interest rate loans to 1 year.

3. Apply special entry procedures for foreign experts working for businesses in Vietnam: extend their work permit; issue new work permits to experts, business managers, technical workers who are foreigners to replace those who cannot return to Vietnam.

4. Accelerate disbursement of public investment capital;

5. Accelerate investment procedures for projects; Attract new investment resources;

6. Forbid to apply the regulation of saving 10% of total investment for new projects starting in medium-term public investment plan 2016-2020 and allocating capital from public investment plans in 2020;

7. Temporarily suspend the application term of Decree 68/2019/ ND-CP on management of construction investment costs until the end of 2020;

8. Promulgate a resolution on conversion of investment forms for 8 projects on the North-South Expressway on the east side from public-private partnership to public investment.

Some Clarifications Required

o While the Draft proposes straightforward and welcoming measures for supporting business in this pandemic, there are a number of issues that will require additional guidance, among others, such as:
o The list of enterprises affected by COVID-19 is unclear and limited, as it does not cover the petroleum, entertainment, etc. industries that are also heavily affected.
o Besides, it is unreasonable to propose VAT reduction for some affected industries such as aviation and tourism because the current laws have specific provisions for VAT reimbursement, and it creates inequality with other affected industries;
o Extension of time limit for corporate tax payment year 2019, VAT, personal income tax and land rent are only 5 months. Given that the pandemic has occurred for approximately 3 months now and has left devastating consequences, coupled with extreme natural disasters in many regions of Vietnam in the past months, the time limit should be extended to 1 year;
o Most of the wordings in the draft are quiet general; the reduction or exemption of tax and fees should be associated with specific household/individual (poor household of specific income levels, children…)
o Proposing a 50% reduction of registration fee when registering domestically manufactured or assembled cars until the end of 2020, applying special consumption tax incentives to the domestic automobile industry is a violation of the commitment to zero discrimination between domestically produced goods and imported goods upon accession to the WTO.

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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.

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

VIETNAM – WIND ENERGY BREAKING NEWS – FEED IN TARIFF COULD BE EXTENDED – WHAT YOU MUST KNOW:


FEED IN TARIFF (“FIT”) scheme for wind power may be extended until the end of 2023 if it is approved by the Prime Minister. On April 09th, 2020, MoIT sent the Government Office the Official Letter no. 2491/BCT-DL to propose to extend FIT scheme for wind power. The proposed content is as follows:

1. Extending FIT scheme for wind power until 31/12/2023.

2. Assigning MoIT to calculate and propose a new FIT price for the projects COD after 01 November 2021 until 31 December 2023.

3. Competitive tender and auction scheme shall be applied after 2023.

The reason for this proposal is the predicted shortage of power for Southern Vietnam from 2021 to 2025 because many thermal projects are behind schedule, thus the need for wind power from 2021 to 2025 is predicted from 6,030 MW to 11,630 MW.

This extended FIT scheme, if approved by the Prime Minister, shall be a lucrative opportunity for investors in the following years.

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Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Oliver Massmann under omassmann@duanemorris.com or any other lawyer in our office listing if you have any questions or want to know more details on the above. Dr. Oliver Massmann is the General Director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC.
Thank you!

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

VIETNAM – COVID 19 – IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS NOT UNIFIED IN ALL PROVINCES – On the continuity of business during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization, causing huge impact on people’s lives, families and communities. Organizations are under certain concerns about the continuity of their business as how long the pandemic lasts for, a possible suspension order, unwanted contract terminations, force majeure issues, reduction of price, etc.

We understand your concerns and we trust the latest update on the Government’s instruction on the business continuity might provide you with some useful information at this stage.

1. The businesses entitled to continue operation

(“Directive 2061”) to instruct on the business that can continue operating during social distancing period i.e. until 15 April 2020 (and a possible extension to 30 April 2020 as recommended by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam), which includes:
• Factories, manufacturing units;
• Transport works, construction;
• Businesses providing essential services and essential goods, i.e. foods, medicine, petrol, oil, electricity, water, fuel, etc.);
• Education units, banks, treasury, services directly connecting to banks and auxiliary to businesses (i.e. notary offices, lawyers,registry of secured transactions, etc.), post, telecommunications, auxiliary services for transportation, import and export, health examinations and treatmenst, funeral, etc.
The above “etc.” phrase literally indicates that the list units permitted to operate is not exhaustive.
Directive 2061 allows each province in Vietnam to implement the PM’s instruction in their own way by saying the chairman of each province shall further instruct on this. Unfortunately, the implementation of the Directive is not unified across Vietnam territory.

2. The implementation of Directive 2061 in some areas

2.1. Hanoi City
Hanoi took a strict approach from the start of the pandemic prevention in its Directive 05 on 31 March 2020. Hanoi PC ordered non-essential shops and service-providers to suspend their activities.
On April 2020, the Department of Justice of Hanoi issued Document 925/STP-PBGDPL clarifying a number of measures to cement the social distancing requests. So far, Hanoi mainly focus on resitricting operations of the restaurants, consumers’ goods or other public places only.

2.2. Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh took a totally different approach, that it issued a Scoring System under Decision no.1203/QD-BCD. The Score System comprises a set of sub-indexes which does not base on the business lines, but based on the quantity of workers, the density in workshop, workers using sanitizers and wearing masks, etc. If the score of an entity is low or average, its operation can carry on, otherwise it must suspend.

2.3. Hai Duong Province
Hai Duong province takes a similar approach as Hanoi City. However, it has more regulation that factories do not carry out 3rd shifts. Hai Duong PC also requires a submission of a written commitment from all businesses in the province.

3. Required measures for businesses continuing its operation

Although the approach is different in each area, the required measures to ensure the safety and prevent the epidemic seems unified. The fortunate business which falls within the scope of being permitted to continue must implement the follows:
• Requiring employees to wear masks and equipping enough facility to prevent and control the epidemic as advised and recommended by health authorities;
• Requiring employees to conduct health report and comply with restrictions on moving, contact and communication;
• Suspension of unurgent activities, reduction of the concentration of employees;
• Organization and management of the transportation for employees to and from work (if any) must ensure the prevention of infection.
In case of incapable to ensure the above measures, business must suspend.
We trust some of the above info is useful for you at this stage. If you are not clear if your business in your respective Province can be affected by any of the above measures and requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Please do not hesitate to contact the author Dr. Oliver Massmann under omassmann@duanemorris.com or any other lawyer in our office listing if you have any questions or want to know more details on the above. Dr. Oliver Massmann is the General Director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC.
Thank you!

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

EU-VIETNAM FREE TRADE AGREEMENT AND INVESTMENT PROTECTION AGREEMENT – MOST LIBERALIZED MARKET ACCESS FOR SERVICE SECTORS AND UNMATCHED LEGAL CERTAINTY – LATEST UPDATE – WHAT YOU MUST KNOW:

I. OVERVIEW

On the 2nd of December 2015, after almost three years and 14 rounds of negotiation, President Donald Tusk, President Jean-Claude Juncker and Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung announced the conclusion of the negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The EVFTA is a new-generation free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EU. On the 26th of June 2018, the EVFTA was split into two separate agreements: the Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). In August 2018, the EU and Vietnam completed the legal review of the EVFTA and the EVFTA requires ratification by the European Council as well as the consent of the European Parliament, while the EVIPA required additional ratification by parliaments of each individual EU Member State.

On the 30th of June 2019, EU Commissioner for Trade Mrs. Cecilia Malmstrom, together with the Romanian Minister for Business Mr. Stefan-Radu Oprea, representing the EU, signed the EVFTA and EVIPA in Hanoi, together with H.E. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vietnamese Government leaders. The Prime Minister expressed his belief that the European Parliament, parliaments of EU Member States, and the Vietnamese National Assembly will soon ratify the EVFTA and EVIPA. Both Trade and Investment agreements were endorsed by the European Parliament on the 12th of February. The EVFTA was approved by the EU Council on 30th of March 2020, thus the implementation of the EVFTA is therefore imminent if the Vietnamese National Assembly gives its approval at its May session, meaning that an entry into force early this summer is possible for the EVFTA. It will take more time for the EVIPA to enter into force because this agreement is subject to the endorsement of the Member States’ parliaments.

Both agreements are expected to bring significant advantages for enterprises, employees, and consumers in both the EU and Vietnam. Vietnam’s GDP is set to increase by 10-15 percent while exports are predicted to rise by 30-40 percent over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the real wages of skilled labourers could rise by up to 12 percent, with salaries of common workers increasing by 13 percent. Once the EVFTA has entered into force, and once Government policies and institutional reforms begin to take effect, Vietnam’s business activities will boom. However, challenges still remain. In this chapter, EuroCham’s Legal Sector Committee will raise the issues relevant to their particular industries and make specific recommendations in order to address these concerns.

II. MARKET ACCESS FOR GOODS AND SERVICES

1. General market access for goods and services

The EVFTA is the most comprehensive and ambitious trade and investment agreement that the EU has ever concluded with a developing country in Asia. It is the second agreement in the ASEAN region, after Singapore, and it will intensify bilateral relations between Vietnam and the EU. Vietnam will have access to a potential market of approximately 446 million people and a total GDP of US$13,918 billion.

Meanwhile, exporters and investors from the EU will have further opportunities to access to one of the largest and fastest-growing countries in the region. According to a report released in early 2017 covering 134 cities worldwide, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are ranked among the top 10 most dynamic cities due to their low costs, rapid consumer market expansion, strong population growth and transition towards activities attracting significant amounts of FDI. According to the World Bank, Vietnam has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world — 7.1% GDP growth in 2018, and 6.7% at the mid-point of 2019. To put that in perspective: Vietnam’s GDP is growing at almost twice the rate of the USA.

In addition, Vietnam has the fastest-growing middle class in the region. It is predicted to almost double in size between 2014 and 2020 (from 12 million to 33 million people). Vietnam’s super-rich population is also growing faster than anywhere else, and there is no doubt that it will continue to rise over the next ten years.

2. Market access for goods

Nearly all customs duties – over 99 percent of the tariff lines – will be eliminated. The small remaining number will be partially liberalised through duty-free quotas. As Vietnam is a developing country, it will liberalise 65 percent of the value of EU exports to Vietnam, representing around half of the tariff lines, at entry into force. The remaining duties will be eliminated over the next ten years. This is an unprecedented, far-reaching tariff elimination for a country like Vietnam, proving its aspiration for deeper integration and trading relations with the EU.

Meanwhile, the EU agreed to eliminate duties for 84 percent of the tariff lines and 71 percent of its trade value for goods imported from Vietnam immediately at the entry into force of the EVFTA. Within 7 years from the effective date of the EVFTA, more than 99 percent of the tariff lines will have been eliminated for Vietnam. This is a wider reduction compared with the 95 percent of the tariff lines that the former TPP countries offered to Vietnamese imports. In the ASEAN region, Vietnam is the top country exporting goods to the EU. However, the market share of Vietnam’s products in the EU is still small. As a result of the EVFTA, the sectors set to benefit most are main export sectors that used to be subject to high tariffs from the EU including textiles, footwear, and agricultural products. The EU is also a good point for Vietnam to reach other further markets.

Vietnam will benefit more from the EVFTA compared with other such agreements, since Vietnam and the EU are considered to be two supporting and complementary markets. In other words, Vietnam exports goods that the EU cannot or does not produce itself (i.e. fishery products, tropical fruits, etc.) while the products imported from the EU are also those Vietnam does not produce domestically, including machinery, aircraft and high-quality pharmaceutical products.

With better market access for goods from the EU, Vietnamese enterprises could source EU materials, technology, and equipment at a better quality and price. This, in turn, will improve their own product quality and ease Vietnam’s burden of over-reliance on its other main trading partners.

The EVFTA is considered as a template for the EU to further conclude FTAs with other countries in the ASEAN region with the aim of concluding a region-to-region FTA once there is a sufficient critical mass of FTAs with individual ASEAN countries. This process could take about 10-15 years. Thus, Vietnam should take advantage of this window of opportunity before FTAs with others in the region are concluded and take effect to become a regional hub.

3. Market access for EU service providers

Although Vietnam’s WTO commitments are used as a basis for the services commitments in the EVFTA, Vietnam has not only opened additional sub-sectors for EU service providers, but also made commitments deeper than those outlined in the WTO, offering the EU the best possible access to Vietnam’s market. Sub-sectors that are not committed under the WTO, but under which Vietnam has made commitments under EVFTA, include: Interdisciplinary Research & Development (R&D) services; nursing services, physiotherapists and para-medical personnel; packaging services; trade fairs and exhibitions services and building-cleaning services.

When these services reach international standards, Vietnam has a chance to export high-quality services, resulting in not only an increase in export value but also export efficiency, thus helping to improve the trade balance.

III. GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT

Vietnam has one of the highest ratios of public investment to GDP in the world (39 percent annually from 1995). However, until now, Vietnam has not agreed to its Government procurement being covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) of the WTO. Now, for the first time, Vietnam has undertaken to do so in the EVFTA.

The EVFTA commitments on Government procurement mainly deal with the requirement to treat EU bidders, or domestic bidders with EU investment capital, equally with Vietnamese bidders when the Government purchases goods or requests a service worth over the specified threshold. Vietnam undertakes to follow the general principles of National Treatment and Non-discrimination. It will publish information on intended procurement and post-award information in Bao Dau Thau – Public Procurement Newspaper – and information on the procurement system at muasamcong.mpi.gov.vn and the official gazette in a timely manner. It will also allow sufficient time for suppliers to prepare and submit requests for participation and responsive tenders and maintain the confidentiality of tenders. The EVFTA also requires its Parties to assess bids based on fair and objective principles, evaluate and award bids only based on criteria set out in notices and tender documentation and create an effective regime for complaints and settling disputes. These rules require Parties to ensure that their bidding procedures match the commitments and protect their own interests, thus helping Vietnam to solve its problem of bids being won by cheap but low-quality service providers.

Government procurement of goods or services, or any combination thereof, that satisfy the following criteria falls within the scope of the EVFTA Government Procurement rules:

Criteria – EVFTA

IV. INVESTMENT DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

Investment disputes now could be settled under the EVIPA. In disputes regarding investment (for example, expropriation without compensation or discrimination of investment), an investor is allowed to bring the dispute to the Investment Tribunal for settlement. To ensure the fairness and independence of the dispute settlement, a permanent Tribunal will be comprised of 9 members: 3 nationals each appointed from the EU and Vietnam, together with 3 nationals appointed from third countries. Cases will be heard by a 3-member Tribunal selected by the Chairman of the Tribunal in a random way. This is also to ensure consistent rulings in similar cases, thus making the dispute settlement more predictable. The EVIPA also allows a sole Tribunal member where the claimant is a small or medium-sized enterprise or the compensation of damaged claims is relatively low. This is a flexible approach considering that Vietnam is still a developing country.

In case either of the disputing parties disagrees with the decision of the Tribunal, it can appeal to the Appeal Tribunal. While this is different from the common arbitration proceeding, it is quite similar to the 2-level dispute settlement mechanism in the WTO (Panel and Appellate Body). We believe that this mechanism could save time and cost for the whole proceedings.

The final settlement is binding and enforceable from the local courts regarding its validity, except for a five-year period following the entry into force of the EVIPA (please refer to further comments in the Legal Sector Committee’s chapter on Judicial Recourse).

V. CONCLUSION

The EVFTA and EVIPA, once ratified by Vietnam, will create sustainable growth, mutual benefits in several sectors and be an effective tool to balance trade relations between the EU and Vietnam. Vietnam is making continuous efforts and progress to meet the high standards set out in the two FTAs and is currently offering greater opportunities for foreign businesses in preparation for the FTAs’ finalisation. It is now time for foreign investors to start their business plans and grasp the upcoming clear opportunities.

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Please do not hesitate to contact the author Dr. Oliver Massmann under omassmann@duanemorris.com if you have any questions or want to know more details on the above. Dr. Oliver Massmann is the General Director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC.
Thank you!

Posted on by Dr. Oliver Massmann

VIETNAM – SOLAR POWER – NEW FEED IN TARIFFS – NEW GUIDANCE FOR SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT – WHAT YOU MUST KNOW:

It has been 10 month waiting after Decision 11/QDD-TTg expired, now the Prime Minister has issued Decision 13/2020 on the incentive mechanism for solar power development. We would like to update the very new key issues as follows:

1. FIT scheme

Following notification No. 402/TB-VPCP of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, now FIT scheme is confirmed that it only applies for the following projects:

– For grid-connected projects: the projects that: (i) has in-principle investment decision before 23/11/2019, and (ii) COD of the whole or part(s) of project from 01/7/2019 to 31/12/2020.
– For grid-connected projects in Ninh Thuan: (i) the projects that were included into power development plans, (ii) COD before 01/01/2021, and (iii) the accumulated capacity not exceeding 2,000 MW.
It is noted that regarding grid-connected projects, FIT scheme is only applied for projects with solar cell’s capacity more than 16% or module more than 15%.

– For rooftop projects: the projects that are brought into operation, generate electricity and have electricity meter readings confirmed from 01/7/2019 to 31/12/2020.
The term of FIT scheme for the above projects shall be applied for 20 years from COD.

2. FIT2

FIT2 are as follows:
– Floating solar energy projects: UScent 7.69
– Ground mounted solar energy projects: UScent 7.09
– Rooftop energy solar energy projects: UScent 8.38

For Ninh Thuan province, grid-connected solar power projects that (ii) COD before 01/01/2021, and (iii) the accumulated capacity not exceeding 2,000 MW will be applied the FiT of UScent 9.35.

3. Competitive mechanism

The projects that do not fall with the scope of FIT scheme shall be subject to competitive scheme.

4. COD definition

COD of the whole or part(s) of the grid-connected project is defined as the date that the whole or part(s) of the project is ready to sell electricity to the buyer and satisfy the follows:
a) Has finished the initial tests for the whole or part(s) of the construction;
b) Has been issued electricity operation license;
c) Has agreed to the index of the electricity meter in order to make payment.

5. Rooftop project definition

Rooftop projects are the projects have photovoltaic panels installed on the rooftop of the construction and have the capacity not exceeds 01 MW, connect to the grids which is less than 35kV.

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Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Oliver Massmann under omassmann@duanemorris.com if you have any questions or want to know more details on the above. Dr. Oliver Massmann is the General Director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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