Plan to Simplify Regulations on Telecom, Gaming, Internet Service

In the process of economic integration and development, in order to create favorable conditions for business and service sectors under the management of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam has approved the plan to reduce and simplify regulations a number of regulations under its control.

Accordingly, Decision No. 1994/QD-TTg agreed to reduce and simplify regulations related to business lines: Provision of pay radio and television services; Provide G1, G2, G3, G4 video games online; Newspapers; Telecommunications service business; publisher’s activities; Business in printing services, except for packaging printing; Publishing services business; Postal services; Information Technology; Science and technology; Domain name registration and maintenance services; Internet; Network information security products and services in Vietnam.  It is important for the company operating in the areas of concern to consult with telecom, internet business, media lawyers to follow up with specific changes in law in Vietnam.

These are industries with fast-growing trends and have a strong impact on other industries as well as on the overall economic development. Therefore, the facilitation and restriction of procedures will contribute to attracting foreign investment and creating development motivation for businesses, quickly catching up with the rapid changes of services, improving the quality of services and improving the quality of services information and communication products.

Accordingly, on procedures for granting certificates of eligibility to provide public electronic game services, for the application components “Plan for the location of the computer room of the public video game service point suitable according to the prescribed area” and “Pay the fee for the issuance of the Certificate of eligibility to operate the point of supply providing public video game services” were abolished. Especially, it is subject to change immediately after the time of licensing. Therefore, the information of the location of the machine room option at the time of consideration for licensing is of little significance. Besides, the Decision also mentions supplementing the form of implementing administrative procedures on electronic means (changing the form of paper copies into electronic ones) to be flexible and ensure consistency with the Enterprise Law 2020 in the implementation for businesses.

The decision also abolishes administrative procedures for granting licenses to provide G1, G2, G3, G4 video game services online. According to the plan, many procedures with G1 online game service will be abolished such as: licensing procedures; license re-issuance; license renewal or procedures for amending and supplementing the license to provide G1 video game services on the internet… This is a meaningful abolition decision for the practice of licensing video games. Because, it is challenging for state agencies to request enterprises to apply for permits and report every time they change their business plans, affecting the autonomy of enterprises as well as creating huge inadequacies in terms of business administrative procedures.

In addition, business conditions: “The publisher’s office has an appropriate area, meets the provisions of the law on standards and norms for using the office” has been simplified to ” having an office that meets the provisions of law on standards and norms for using the office”. This change is reasonable, because the criterion of suitable area has no basis for explanation. Moreover, the area of ​​the publisher’s headquarters is not related to the management of the State. With the new regulations, publishers can be autonomous in choosing the right area, ensuring space for business activities. At the same time, the Decision also combines two administrative procedures including re-issuance and renewal of licenses for printing and publishing publications into one administrative procedure, limiting cumbersome procedures, saving time and costs for businesses.

In addition, in the field of publication distribution service business, the Decision simplifies the process of granting certificates of registration for publishing and publishing electronic publications in the direction of only performing the verification process determining the project of publishing and distributing electronic publications. Therefore, if the project is eligible and accepted, the enterprise will be granted a certificate of operation registration immediately.

According to the simplified version of the Decision, the Postal Business Registration Certificate and the Postal Investment Certificate in Vietnam will be merged into the Business Registration Certificate.

Therefore, the introduction of Decision No. 1994/QD-TTg has reduced and simplified procedures; help the process of preparing documents quickly; save time for organizations and individuals when carrying out administrative procedures and minimize the cost of administrative compliance.