Hanoi, July 17, 2026 – The Europe Today: Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng has issued a directive calling on ministries, government agencies and local authorities to accelerate the implementation of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation initiatives in 2026 while ensuring the full disbursement of allocated funds by the end of the year.
According to Directive No. 29/CT-TTg, Vietnam has achieved encouraging initial progress in implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, contributing to socio-economic development and strengthening the country’s international standing.
The directive, however, noted that several key tasks remain behind schedule, while budget disbursement—particularly for digital transformation projects—has been slower than expected due to policy gaps, implementation challenges, limited capacity at the grassroots level and insufficient leadership in some agencies and localities.
To address these shortcomings, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng directed all ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial and municipal authorities to treat science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as top political priorities and key drivers of productivity, competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.
The directive stressed that faster budget disbursement must be accompanied by efficiency, transparency and strict measures to prevent waste and corruption. It also stated that heads of ministries, agencies and local governments would be held directly accountable for implementation progress and the effective utilisation of allocated funds.
Under the directive, the Ministry of Science and Technology has been tasked with reviewing and proposing amendments to existing regulations, or introducing new policies by the fourth quarter of 2026, to create a more enabling environment for scientific research, technological advancement, innovation and digital transformation.
The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the Ministry of Science and Technology, will review budgetary and public investment regulations, simplify administrative procedures, strengthen decentralisation while enhancing oversight, and improve funding mechanisms for science, technology and digital transformation projects.
The Prime Minister also instructed ministries, central agencies and local authorities to conduct an urgent review of all science, technology, innovation and digital transformation projects financed in 2026. Projects are to be categorised according to their readiness for implementation, the need to remove administrative or technical bottlenecks, or their overall feasibility, with particular focus on shared digital platforms, national databases and projects financed through 2025 budget surpluses carried forward into 2026.
Provincial and municipal governments have been directed to promptly resolve implementation and funding constraints at commune and ward levels, strengthen technical support for local administrations and, where appropriate, centralise procurement of complex shared digital systems at the provincial level.
The directive further instructs the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance to complete a comprehensive review of funding requirements for 2025–2026 by the end of July, ensuring that resources are prioritised for strategic national projects rather than fragmented investments.
Funding will focus on strategic technologies identified under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 21/2026/QĐ-TTg, innovations capable of addressing major national challenges, commercially viable technologies, the modernisation of national research centres and key laboratories, as well as the development of national data infrastructure, large-scale databases, shared digital platforms and digital systems supporting Vietnam’s two-tier local government model.
The directive reflects the Vietnamese government’s determination to accelerate digital transformation and technological innovation as central pillars of the country’s long-term economic growth and sustainable development strategy.
