Investment Legal Support Forum

INVESTMENT LEGAL SUPPORT FORUM 2025

INDUSTRIAL ZONE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT: LEGAL UPDATES AND IMPLEMENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

HOSTED AND ORGANIZED BY

An in-depth legal support forum for

Investors in Ho Chi Minh City

As the country’s economic locomotive, Ho Chi Minh City has long been considered a preferred destination for many prospective investors. Compared to other areas, Ho Chi Minh City is permitted to implement a specific mechanism that aligns with the city's scale and development orientation. This can be viewed as an opportunity, but simultaneously poses numerous challenges for the business community, investors, especially amidst the unsettled business operation legal framework, which is constantly evolving and reforming.

Recognizing the necessity to solve the legal issues to business operations and the requirements from businesses for a platform to exchange in-depth information on this matter, Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) cooperates with Investment and Trade Promotion Centre Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC) to hold the annual Investment Legal Support Forum (ILS Forum). Through this forum, VIAC and ITPC hope to accompany the investors with their businesses in Vietnam and create a connection between business community and competent authorities, thereby, supporting investment process in HCMC in particular and contributing to the development of Vietnam’s economy in general.

The ILS Forum 2025

Industrial zone infrastructure development investment: Legal updates and implementation recommendations

As a vital segment of the economy, industrial zones and economic zones have, for many years, attracted substantial investment capital, contributed significantly to the state budget, enhanced national competitiveness, and accelerated international integration. Recently, with a series of important amendments to the legal framework, the investment, construction, and development activities in industrial zones are expected to undergo a new phase of transformation. However, alongside these opportunities, the evolving regulatory environment also presents certain challenges for investors and enterprises.

Amid significant changes in administrative boundaries and legal policies, with the goal of fostering dialogue, discussion, and the proposal of timely adaptive and effective implementation solutions, the Investment Legal Support Forum 2025, themed “Industrial zone infrastructure development investment: Legal updates and implementation recommendations”, continues to be organized by the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) in collaboration with the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC).

「 Date & time 」

08:00 AM - 12:00 PM

21 November, 2025 (Friday)

「 Location 」

In-person in REX Hotel Saigon

141 Nguyen Hue, Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City

“The implementation of Investment Legal Support Forum is a process to materialize an idea in order to accompany businesses in terms of legal assistance, therefore, enhancing investment attraction of the East South area and Vietnam in general and of Ho Chi Minh City in particular. This Forum creates an information platform through which direct dialogue occurs not only among investors but also between investors and competent authorities, aiming to maintain transparency and openness. It involves actively listening and addressing existing challenges and difficulties, allowing for timely resolutions. On behalf of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, I warmly welcome the initiative of the Investment Legal Support Forum.

Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong – Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City

What investors said about

ILSF

Opinions given at the Investment Promotion Conference "Improving investment attraction and proposing effective legal solutions for investors in Ho Chi Minh City", opening the Legal Management Series 2023 (LMS 2023) on 07 July 2023

“The support, which come from previous forums, primarily involved interactions with regulatory authorities from central to local levels. However, conveying the desires and recommendations of businesses to the government has been quite challenging, as understanding the backstage of the handling processes of the competent authorities is complicated to businesses. Therefore, the initiative to establish a new forum would be an essential supplement to meet the demand of the market, specifically for businesses.”

Mr. Vu Tu Thanh – Deputy Regional Managing Director of US - ASEAN Business Council

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“The ILSF for investors in HCMC can be an interesting forum for all FDI’ enterprises because legal framework is always considered as the starting point of business activities of foreign enterprises in Vietnam”

Mr. Michele D’Ercole - Chairman of Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (ICHAM)

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“Some significant challenges that foreign-invested businesses in Vietnam are currently encountering including licensing issues, taxation, and dispute resolution.”

Mr. David S. Oh – Legal Advisor of Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam (KOCHAM)

“With respect to limitations and issues arising from legal framework, each association has had its own mechanisms for supporting members, reporting to competent authorities, especially the government so far. If the ILSF for investors in HCMC can resolve difficulties arising from specific or key projects, this will be such a great point.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Minh - Vice Chairman of European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham)

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“Methods for inviting members’ comments and synthesizing in Amcham has been similar to the ILSF’ format. According to that, the management board of Amcham will provide relevant parties with constructive forums or dialogues with the purpose of specifying all members’ interest in their process of operating and developing their busines.”

Mr. James Ollen - Executive Director of American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam)