Enhancing legal support for enterprises

Currently, 97% of Vietnamese enterprises are small and medium-sized, with limited development conditions, particularly in terms of understanding and complying with legal requirements during production and business operations.

Signing ceremony for enhanced legal support cooperation between the Dong Nai Bar Association and the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association. Photo: Van Gia

Legal support plays a pivotal role in improving competitiveness, safeguarding lawful rights and interests, and fostering the development of the business community, in line with Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW dated May 4, 2025 of the Politburo on the development of the private economy (Resolution 68). In recent years, Dong Nai province has been making concerted efforts to connect organizations, units, and business associations to implement enterprise support programmes.

Legal assistance plays a critical role

For small, micro, and even household-based enterprises, daily operations often focus on production and market expansion. Most business owners have risen from family-run or small-scale establishments and have not received formal training or in-depth legal knowledge related to their sector. When legal issues arise, they often struggle to resolve them, losing valuable time and missing development opportunities.

Common difficulties faced by enterprises include land-use procedures, tax policies, and environmental regulations. Surveys reveal that many businesses seek stable production sites and wish to comply with regulations. However, numerous facilities currently operate in residential areas or on agricultural land, contrary to zoning plans. Access to concentrated production zones remains limited. Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) lack adequate information, encounter legal issues related to factory construction, non-compliant operations, or incomplete legal documentation when signing contracts with clients.

Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Lawyers – Corporate Legal Affairs Club (Dong Nai Bar Association) and Director of Viet A Law Accounting and Tax Co., Ltd. (Long Binh Ward, Dong Nai Province), noted that business law knowledge among local SMEs remains limited. Therefore, establishing connections and implementing programmes for legal support, consultation, training, and knowledge dissemination is essential. This enables enterprises better to understand the role of law in sustainable business development and to mitigate legal risks.

Key legal support activities for SMEs in 2025 under Plan No. 01/KH-UBND issued on January 2, 2025 by the Dong Nai People's Committee include:

- Reviewing and proposing improvements to relevant legal regulations to remove obstacles for enterprises.

- Disseminating legal information on enterprise legal support via the Dong Nai Provincial Legal Education Information Portal.

- Developing and maintaining legal databases to serve enterprise activities.

- Developing, managing, maintaining, updating, utilising, and operating databases on legal cases and issues.

- Providing legal consultations for enterprises.

Connecting to support the business community

As one of Vietnam’s leading provinces in economic development, Dong Nai has a growing and dynamic business sector. The province consistently prioritises improving the investment and business environment to attract enterprises. Multiple solutions are being implemented in parallel, particularly in the areas of legal support, integrated into reforms in administrative procedures, taxation, customs, social insurance, construction permitting, and land management.

Alongside government-led reforms, organisations and associations are working to connect and deliver enterprise support initiatives. In 2025, the Dong Nai Bar Association, the Dong Nai Business Federation, and the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association signed cooperation agreements to coordinate legal support and training for local enterprises.

According to Lawyer Le Quang Y, Chairman of the Dong Nai Bar Association, the association currently has around 500 lawyers. This substantial team can collaborate with organizations and businesses across various areas, particularly in legal matters concerning investment, foreign investment cooperation, capital contribution, commercial contract disputes, finance, and banking.

Nguyen Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association, emphasised that the development potential for the province’s business community is considerable, especially after the recent administrative boundary expansion. However, legal obstacles are inevitable in the growth process. Representing young entrepreneurs, the association is committed to supporting its members in complying with legal regulations. To ensure the effectiveness of these support programs, the association will continue to connect with units inside and outside the province to organize training courses, seminars, and provide essential updates on new policies and regulations. This, in turn, will help enterprises enhance their legal awareness and proactively mitigate risks in a rapidly changing business environment.

By: Van Gia

Translated by: My Le - Thu Ha