The meeting aimed to outline the programme framework, tasks, viewpoints, objectives, and main directions for the project to be submitted to the Politburo. Attending the meeting were leaders from ministries, central agencies, and provincial and municipal authorities who are members of the steering committee.

In implementing the tasks assigned by the government, the prime minister issued Decision No. 526/QD-TTg on March 6, 2025, on the establishment of the steering committee for building a private economic development project, with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh serving as head of the Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung as Standing Deputy Head, and Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang as the deputy head in charge.

At its first meeting, the Steering Committee discussed the political, legal, and practical foundations for developing the proposal, its structure, and its key contents. Delegates emphasised the position, role, and contributions of the private economy to the country's socio-economic development, particularly in the current period and the coming years, as Vietnam enters an era of prosperity, strength, and affluence. The committee assessed mechanisms and policies for private sector development; analysed the state of the private economy; examined international experiences and lessons learned; and discussed perspectives, objectives, tasks, and solutions for private sector development in the future.

An overview of the committee (Photo: TRAN HAI)

According to the steering committee, the private economy has continuously developed, contributing increasingly to the country's economic renewal and socio-economic progress. Currently, the private sector comprises over 6.1 million business establishments, including approximately 940,000 operating enterprises and more than 5.2 million household businesses. The private economy has maintained a strong growth rate and remains the largest contributor to the national economy.

The committee noted that Vietnam is on the brink of a new era, an era of prosperity, strength, and development, with the aspiration to build a socialist Vietnam that is a wealthy, strong, democratic, just, and civilised nation, standing shoulder to shoulder with global powers. In this context, it is essential to objectively and accurately assess the position and role of the private economy and ensure its development becomes a key driver of the national economy.

In concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung stressed the need to refine the proposal further, ensuring that policies meet the criteria of being "precise, impactful", strong enough, breakthrough-oriented, and highly actionable. Policies must also be clear, concrete, and feasible — principles that should guide the drafting of upcoming resolutions and legal documents.

Regarding the role and position of the private economy, the deputy prime minister referenced a working session of General Secretary To Lam with the central policy and strategy committee. He set a target of having two million enterprises by 2030, emphasising that both the quantity and quality of enterprises must be ensured. He also highlighted the need to further clarify the development of leading enterprises in various sectors, particularly in innovation, digital transformation, and green transition.

Delegates attend the meeting (Photo: TRAN HAI).

Regarding the draft project, which has outlined policy groups, the deputy prime minister suggested categorising and clarifying policies for different types of enterprises (such as large enterprises, medium-sized enterprises, small enterprises, micro-enterprises, household businesses, and startups) and according to key issues such as land, banking and monetary policies, finance and taxation, technology, and linkages.

For the next steps, the deputy prime minister urged committee members to uphold the highest sense of responsibility, carry out their tasks urgently while ensuring the best quality, and adopt a "parallel approach" — conducting workshops and conferences to gather stakeholder opinions while simultaneously studying international experiences and refining the proposal. The finalised project will be submitted to the steering