Vietnam signs off on a $67 billion train plan, data laws, and energy laws

On Saturday, the last day of its twice-yearly normal session, Vietnam’s parliament passed laws on data security and power. It also passed a motion in support of a $67 billion high-speed rail project.

The train will connect the capital, Hanoi, to Ho Chi Minh City, which is the business center of the south. It is Vietnam’s biggest and most complex build project. The 958-mile, 1,541-km project should be finished in 2035.

The data rule makes it harder to process and send personal data to other countries. This is something that U.S. tech companies have said could make it harder for them to do business in the Southeast Asian country.

The law will also make it easier for the government to get data when the Communist-run country’s leaders think it’s needed.

The electricity law should make it easier for people to invest in energy projects in Vietnam and speed up the approval of so-called “direct power purchase agreements.” These agreements let manufacturers deal directly with green energy providers about getting electricity.

With this move, the energy sector, which is currently governed by a number of different laws, will have a more complete set of laws to follow.

To finish the governing framework for some energy sectors, like offshore, wind, and nuclear power, more legislation texts will need to be passed.