Tô Lâm has set a deadline of 2026 for Vietnam to achieve significant advancements in institutional reform, administrative simplification, and legal modernization. He emphasized that government agencies should focus on delivering concrete results instead of symbolic gestures. During the inaugural meeting of Vietnam’s Central Steering Committee for Institutional Perfection and Law Enforcement, held in Hanoi, Tô Lâm highlighted the importance of evaluating reforms through tangible outputs like completed legal documents, streamlined administrative processes, and resolved legal challenges, with clear accountability from leaders.
The meeting, which included senior figures such as Lê Minh Hưng and Trần Thanh Mẫn, saw Tô Lâm instruct ministries and agencies to promptly commence the implementation of the committee’s conclusions. He also called for the establishment of monitoring systems and regular reporting on task completions, delays, and issues that require intervention at higher levels. Among the priority areas discussed were enhancing the state economy, improving conditions for foreign investment, reducing administrative burdens, combating urban air pollution, and revising the criminal procedure framework.
On the topic of foreign investment, the committee underscored the importance of competitive policies that facilitate technology transfer, research and development, workforce training, green transformation, and digital innovation. It also emphasized the necessity for stronger oversight of strategic investors and better regional coordination to attract foreign capital. To tackle air pollution in major cities, officials proposed moving towards outcome-based air quality management, supported by modern environmental monitoring systems, robust early-warning mechanisms, and clearer accountability for pollution sources.
The committee urged that administrative reform should become a permanent responsibility, not merely a temporary effort, advocating for increased reliance on post-inspection oversight and risk-based governance over excessive pre-approval requirements. In terms of judicial reforms, there is an ongoing review of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code aimed at balancing effective crime prevention with fairness, asset recovery, and support for socio-economic development.