Prime Minister: The Financial Sector Deserves to Be a Loyal “Guardian of the Treasury,” a Sharp “Think Tank,” and a “Driver of Development,” Leading the Nation into an Era of Growth and Advancement

Speaking at the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged that 2025 presented more challenges than opportunities. However, thanks to the decisive efforts of the entire political system, the people, and the business community, under the leadership of the Party, we have achieved significant results.

These include macroeconomic stability, controlled inflation, boosted growth, and ensured social welfare. We have effectively managed budget deficits, public debt, and foreign debt amidst global high inflation and slowed growth.

Highlighting the financial sector’s crucial contributions, the Prime Minister summarized its achievements in 8 phrases with 32 words: “Accurate Advising – Streamlined Apparatus – Perfected Institutions – Budget Surplus – Innovative Enterprises – Macro Stability – Happy People – Developing Nation.”

Accurate Advising: As a strategic advisory body, the Ministry provided timely growth scenarios, contributing to an estimated GDP growth of 8.02% in 2025. It advised on key resolutions, including those on private and state-owned economic development, and the establishment of an international financial center in Vietnam.

Streamlined Apparatus: The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and Investment, State Capital Management Commission, and Vietnam Social Security were merged into a unified structure. This reduced over 3,600 units (37%) and cut 10% of staff compared to 2021, while significantly improving efficiency. The system processed a record 230,000 documents and advanced digital transformation, especially in budget collection and expenditure.

Perfected Institutions: Administrative procedures were cut, and decentralization was promoted, shifting from management to service and development facilitation. The Ministry submitted 15 draft laws and resolutions to the National Assembly, with 11 laws passed in 2025. Hundreds of decrees and circulars were issued.

The Ministry provided over 468 online public services, linked to the National Population Database via Project 06, reducing business conditions by 30%. Vietnam’s stock market was upgraded to Secondary Emerging status by FTSE Russell in September 2025, with liquidity up 42%. Legal frameworks for the International Financial Center and the Cryptocurrency Asset Market Sandbox positioned Vietnam to align with global financial trends.

Budget Surplus: State budget revenue reached 2.65 trillion VND by December 31, 2025, exceeding estimates by 34.74% and up 30.3% from 2024. Domestic revenue accounted for 86%, while 251 trillion VND in taxes, fees, and land rent were waived to support citizens and businesses.

Budget expenditure in 2025 reached 2.4 trillion VND (94.1%), with development investment at 82.7%. Savings of 5.3 trillion VND in the last 7 months were allocated to build schools in border areas.

Innovative Enterprises: A record 297,500 new and reactivated businesses joined the market in 2025, up 27.4% from 2024. Private capital accounted for over 70% of the 5.14 trillion VND invested in 564 major projects. FDI disbursement hit a 15-year high of 27.6 billion USD.

Macro Stability: GDP grew by 8.02%, inflation was controlled at 3.3%, and trade surplus exceeded 21 billion USD, with total trade reaching 930 billion USD.

Happy People: Living standards improved, strengthening trust in the Party and State. Vietnam’s happiness index rose 37 places to 46th in 2025. Social welfare spending reached 1.1 trillion VND (17% of the budget), and all temporary and dilapidated houses were eliminated ahead of schedule. The Quang Trung campaign rebuilt homes for flood-affected Central region residents, and the personal income tax deduction was raised to 15.5 million VND/month.

Developing Nation: GDP reached 514 billion USD, with per capita GDP surpassing 5,000 USD to 5,026 USD, entering the upper-middle-income group. Infrastructure projects transformed urban and rural areas.

The Prime Minister emphasized the finance sector’s 80-year legacy as a loyal “guardian of the treasury,” a “sharp brain,” and a “driver of development,” propelling the nation forward.

He also noted challenges in public investment disbursement, land clearance, enterprise development, macroeconomic policy coordination, surplus office use, and cryptocurrency market development.

After analyzing these issues, the Prime Minister stressed lessons in unity, policy responsiveness, and harmonized coordination with monetary and other policies.