1.What are the key rules/laws relevant to M&A and who are the key regulatory authorities?

There is no single document regulating M&A activities in Vietnam. The relevant rules are contained in several laws and regulations governing general corporate and investment issues. These laws and regulations include:

• Investment Law No. 61/2020/QH14 and Enterprise Law No. 59/2020/QH14 issued by the National Assembly on 17 June 2020, and their guiding documents, namely Decree No. 31/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 01/2021/ND-CP. These laws set out the general legal framework, conditional sectors and investment procedures. The authorities responsible for enforcing these laws are the:
• Prime Minister;
• National Assembly of Vietnam;
• Local People’s Committee;
• Industrial Zone Management Authority;
• Ministry of Planning and Investment;
• Ministry of Industry and Trade;
• Ministry of Health; and
• Other ministries depending on the business activities of the target companies.
• Law on Securities No. 54/2019/QH14 issued by the National Assembly on 26 November 2019, and its implementing documents, in particular Decree No. 155/2020/ND-CP issued by the Government on 31 December This Law regulates the acquisition of shares in public and private companies in Vietnam, including public tender offers. The authorities responsible for enforcing the Law include the:
• State Securities Commission (SSC);
• Vietnam Securities Depository Centre; and
• Ministry of Planning and Investment.
• Competition Law No. 23/2018/QH14 issued by the National Assembly on 12 June 2018, which is enforced by the Vietnam Competition Commission (VCC) of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Under this Law, any M&A transaction that causes or likely causes substantial anti-competitive effects on the Vietnamese market will be prohibited.
• Foreign exchange regulations. An investment capital account in Vietnamese dong is a condition, among others, for capital contribution/share purchase or subscription. These regulations are enforced by commercial banks and the State Bank of Vietnam.
• Vietnam’s WTO Schedule of Specific Commitments on Services and Vietnam’s commitments on services in various free trade agreements, including the EU- Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. These set out the ratio of shares that can be owned by foreign investors in various specific sectors.
• Other specific regulations for the acquisition of shares in Vietnamese companies operating in special sectors, such as banking and finance, insurance, and so on. These sectors are highly regulated by the relevant authorities.

Author: Dr. Oliver Massmann

Email: omassmann @duanemorris.com