Signal Vietnam fast-tracks cultural industry law with 'National Cultural Card' proposal

Summary

Vietnam's National Assembly Committee for Culture and Society met with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on September 8, 2026 to discuss a draft Law on Cultural Industry Development. The bill is moving through an expedited procedure aimed at passage during the National Assembly's October 2026 session. The draft includes a 'National Cultural Card' intended to boost domestic cultural spending, along with plans for new trading platforms. It also contains incentives such as VAT refunds meant to draw foreign film crews to the country. The legislation is designed to formally place cultural industries within Vietnam's national economic structure, linking their value chains to exports, strategic investment, and the promotion of Vietnamese cultural identity and soft power abroad.