Decree No. 137/2026/ND-CP was developed and promulgated in the context of promoting the thorough grasp and implementation of Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW dated April 30, 2025 on reforming law-making and law enforcement to meet the country’s development requirements in the new era. At the same time, it concretises the guiding viewpoints set out in Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW dated May 4, 2025 of the Politburo on the development of the private economy. The decree also aims to address shortcomings and inadequacies in several existing regulations on the management of multi-level marketing activities, thereby contributing to improving the effectiveness of law enforcement.

The amendments and supplements focus on several notable aspects as follows:

First, reducing and simplifying administrative procedures and business investment conditions

In line with the Party and State’s policy of creating the most favourable conditions for the private sector, Decree No. 137/2026/ND-CP removes a number of administrative procedures and cuts nearly 50% of the time required to process administrative procedures.

Abolish the administrative procedure for notification of changes to the list of goods subject to multi-level marketing, shifting to a mechanism whereby enterprises self-declare and take responsibility;

Remove the procedures for issuing certification of legal knowledge on multi-level marketing and certification for local focal points, thereby simplifying the process of assessing and certifying knowledge for relevant entities;

Simplify procedures for enterprises submitting dossiers via the online public service system;

Increase the scale threshold for conferences, seminars, and training sessions on multi-level marketing that require notification procedures, thereby reducing the number of related administrative procedures;

Reduce the reporting frequency of enterprises by eliminating periodic reporting procedures to provincial Departments of Industry and Trade and reducing reporting to the Ministry of Industry and Trade from two times to once per year.

The decree also removes certain business investment conditions in multi-level marketing activities, such as regulations on minimum charter capital and communication information systems.

Second, improving regulations on decentralisation of responsibilities to local authorities

Based on the tasks decentralised under Decree No. 146/2025/ND-CP dated June 12, 2025 on delegation and decentralisation in the fields of industry and trade, and to ensure consistency, the decree stipulates the assignment of several responsibilities of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to provincial-level People’s Committees:

These include recognition of training programmes on legal knowledge of multi-level marketing; 

Assessment of legal knowledge; assessment of local focal points; 

Inspection and supervision of training institutions; 

Notification of termination of multi-level marketing activities.

Third, revising and refining several provisions to address practical difficulties

Based on a review and consolidation of practical challenges and obstacles, the decree revises and refines several provisions to facilitate compliance and enforcement for enterprises and regulatory agencies.

Revise regulations on the form of contracts for participation in multi-level marketing, creating a legal basis for enterprises to apply electronic contracts, thereby saving costs and time;

Enhance requirements on the financial capacity of enterprises registering for multi-level marketing activities in order to better protect participants;

Clearly stipulate forms of termination of participation contracts, ensuring consistency with provisions on contract termination under the Civil Code;

Improve regulations on basic training for participants, ensuring the substantive nature of such activities, raising awareness among participants, and preventing disguised or fraudulent practices.

Fourth, supplementing new provisions to enhance the effectiveness of state management.

In addition to amendments and refinements, Decree No. 137/2026/ND-CP introduces several new provisions to improve the effectiveness of state management over multi-level marketing activities.

Supplement specific and distinctive responsibilities for “senior distributors”, who have significant influence within multi-level marketing networks, thereby enhancing their accountability;

Refine regulations on determining whether enterprises conduct multi-level marketing activities in a locality by adding the form of presence through “having a business location”;

Add provisions on criteria for appraising dossiers for recognition of legal knowledge training programmes, enabling provincial-level People’s Committees to conduct assessments in a consistent manner;

Introduce provisions on cases of revocation of certification of multi-level marketing registration at the local level to ensure effective local management.

Decree No. 137/2026/ND-CP on the management of multi-level marketing activities takes effect from July 1, 2026. Enterprises are given a period of 12 months to comply with the new provisions of the decree.

Detailed contents of Decree No. 137/2026/ND-CP dated April 7, 2026 of the Government are available here .