On 29-30 October 2025, BLawyers Vietnam attended the Digital Financial Inclusion Conference 2025, organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Vietnam Bank’s Association (VNBA) in Ho Chi Minh City, which brought together more than 200 delegates from the public and private sectors and international development partners. The conference emphasised three core pillars for scaling digital financial inclusion: technology, public-private cooperation and the building of digital trust.
At the conference, H.E. Pham Thanh Ha (Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam) and Mr. Chu Khanh Lan (Deputy Director General, State Bank of Vietnam) respectively presented the Vietnamese Government’s policies on promoting digital technology and expanding financial access from the perspective of regulatory and policy-making bodies. This was a highlight of the event, as the representatives from State agencies demonstrated professionalism and deep understanding of the regulatory landscape, showcasing that the Vietnamese Government has a well-structured strategy in creating a financial playground with comprehensive mechanisms and a willingness to learn from more advanced countries.
Throughout the two-day conference, the organizers – IFC and VNBA – demonstrated a “large-scale” organization by inviting numerous speakers from neighboring countries (i.e. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.) to join IFC experts in discussing the following topics:
- Transforming from Financial Inclusion to Financial Health
- Data for Financial Inclusion
- AI and GenAI in Finance
- Empowering underserved communities and smart solutions to advance climate change
- Digital creative industries and job creation
- The future of credit operational infrastructure with a vision to 2030
- Alternative data and scoring models to enhance credit access
- Secured capital financing and embedded financial solutions
- Credit operational infrastructure for financial services and products
By listening to experts and engaging with representatives from banks, financial companies, manufacturers, and financial platforms, BLawyers Vietnam gained clearer insights into the legal role of personal data in the development of new financial tools – especially in the context of the Law on Personal Data Protection coming into effect on 01 January 2026. Businesses, both financial and non-financial, will need to determine how to handle personal data as a new asset within fintech sandboxes, AI applications, alternative data in credit scoring, open banking, digital identity integration, and risk governance—while the Government is expected to implement strict regulations on these matters.
In connection with parts of the conference themes, we have released a podcast episode that explores legal issues in digital finance. We invite businesses and individual investors to listen for practical perspectives and legal approaches through this podcast at the following link: https://www.blawyersvn.com/28-p2p-lending-sandbox-fintech-opportunities-and-challenges-for-the-p2p-lending-mechanism-in-vietnam/
The above is not official advice from BLawyers Vietnam. If you have any questions or suggestions about the above, please contact us at info@blawyersvn.com. BLawyers Vietnam would love to hear from you.
Date: 10 November 2025
Writer: BLawyers Vietnam
