Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Agency reviews 2025 performance, sets out tasks for 2026

Reporting at the conference, Trinh Van Thuan, Deputy Director General of the Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Agency, stated that in 2025 the Agency faced numerous difficulties as it was required to implement a wide range of urgent tasks, particularly in responding to natural disasters and flooding that were extremely complex and exceeded historical flood levels in many areas nationwide.

However, under the consistent leadership and direction of the Standing Board of the Party Committee and the Ministry’s leadership, with close coordination from relevant agencies, together with the efforts, determination and commitment of all officials, civil servants and employees, ISEA played an important role in successfully fulfilling the tasks assigned by the Ministry. This helped the industry and trade sector ensure safety and environmental protection, thereby contributing to the sector’s sustainable development over the past year.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Truong Thanh Hoai delivers directive remarks at the conference.

“In 2025, the Agency successfully fulfilled its role as the lead unit in drafting and submitting to competent authorities one Government Decree, one Decision of the Prime Minister and five Circulars for promulgation. These documents promptly supplemented and completed the legal framework for industrial safety management, particularly in the areas of safety in mineral extraction and processing, as well as the management of safety for hydropower dams and reservoirs,” Trinh Van Thuan stressed.

In addition, ISEA advised the Minister to submit to the Prime Minister a Decision approving the Development Program for the Environmental Industry and a Decision promulgating the National Program on Safety in Electricity Use for the 2026 - 2035 period.

Regarding administrative procedures, Trinh Van Thuan said that in 2025 the Agency immediately cut 17 administrative procedures to decentralize authority to localities, reduced and simplified administrative procedures related to production and business activities for two procedures and proposed that the Ministry continue to shorten appraisal timelines for four administrative procedures.

Conference overview.

“ISEA is currently handling 32 administrative procedures concentrated in six key areas: oil and gas, occupational safety and health, industrial explosives and explosive precursors, chemicals, minerals and the safety of hydropower dams and reservoirs,” the Deputy Director General said.

Notably, in 2025, ISEA processed 1.680 dossiers related to administrative procedures under its management authority, including 1.460 permits for the transportation of dangerous goods.

In 2025, the Agency coordinated with Newspaper of Industry and Trade to organize the 2025 Journalism Contest on Environmental Protection in the Industry and Trade Sector. The contest results reflected issues of public concern, with many entries demonstrating strong orientation, introducing solutions aligned with green development trends and offering practical policy suggestions for state management agencies. This showed the serious investment of participating journalists and reflected society’s attention to current environmental challenges.

Regarding plans and solutions for 2026, the Deputy Director General said that ISEA has issued an official dispatch seeking opinions from the Standing Board of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Party Committee on the development of 10 legal normative documents, including coordination with the Electricity Authority to draft a Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the 2024 Law on Electricity, two Decrees and seven Circulars.

Pham Tuan Anh, Director General of the Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Agency speaks at the conference.

At the same time, ISEA will develop an inspection plan for 2026 covering around 90 units to examine compliance with legal regulations on safety in mineral extraction and processing, industrial explosives; safety, inspection and transportation of dangerous goods; electrical safety; safety of hydropower dams and reservoirs; management and operation of tailings storage facilities; and supervision of the implementation of projects on the treatment and consumption of ash, slag and gypsum from thermal power plants, chemical and fertilizer facilities.

“During 2026, the Agency is expected to organize dozens of conferences to disseminate and provide legal education on safety in mineral activities and industrial explosives; safety in the oil and gas sector; electrical safety; disaster prevention and control; and regulations on environmental management in the industry and trade sector,” Trinh Van Thuan said.

Delivering directive remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Truong Thanh Hoai said he fully agreed with and highly appreciated ISEA’s report on its 2025 performance and its directions and tasks for 2026.

“Over the past year, the Agency has basically fulfilled its assigned tasks well, contributing to the overall economic development of the country and of the industry and trade sector. Particularly in the context of strong economic growth, with manufacturing and processing growth reaching the highest level in the past five years and export turnover continuing to rise sharply, the contributions of units under the Ministry, including ISEA, are highly significant,” the Deputy Minister said.

However, while acknowledging and highly valuing the achieved results, the Deputy Minister requested that the Agency be more proactive in advising on institutional development and improvement; review and adjust its functions and tasks to address overlaps among ministries and sectors, as well as among units within the Ministry; and at the same time ensure that no gaps occur in the Ministry’s state management responsibilities.

Delegates attend the conference.

He also asked ISEA to urgently review all its functions and tasks, particularly those that may overlap with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, especially in the context that many new laws related to environmental issues are expected to be promulgated in the coming period.

“This review must be conducted seriously and expeditiously to ensure that no gaps arise in state management of the industrial environment and environmental industries,” the Deputy Minister said.

At the conference, Deputy Minister Truong Thanh Hoai also expressed his agreement with the Agency’s work program. Accordingly, tasks such as finalizing decrees and circulars must be carried out seriously and on schedule, especially given the recent strong decentralization and delegation of authority to local governments.

On behalf of all officials, civil servants and employees, Director General of the Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Agency Pham Tuan Anh expressed his gratitude and stated that the Agency would seriously and fully absorb the Deputy Minister’s profound directive opinions delivered at the conference.

“These are extremely important orientations, reflecting the attention, responsibility and expectations of the Ministry’s leadership for ISEA in carrying out its assigned tasks,” Pham Tuan Anh said.

The Agency attaches strong importance to directives on further research and proposals for institutional development and improvement, as well as addressing management gaps, with a high sense of responsibility, openness and determination. The Agency’s leadership and staff will rigorously implement the Deputy Minister’s guidance and strive to fulfill the tasks set for 2026 and the years ahead.

“In the coming period, the Agency will focus on several major priorities, including advising on the development and improvement of institutions; enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in the field of industrial safety; and continuing to streamline and reorganize the Agency and its specialized departments toward a lean and efficient structure,” the ISEA leadership stressed.