Vietnam's lawmakers push faster disbursement of science and technology funds

Legislators during the second session of the 16th National Assembly raised concerns about the pace of fund distribution for science and technology initiatives, which have fallen well behind target since the start of the fiscal year. As of October 30, disbursement of the 95 trillion VND (3.65 billion USD) science and technology allocation had reached only 42.12 percent, according to budget oversight data.

The shortfall was particularly acute in innovation and digital transformation programmes. Innovation spending had reached just 27.98 percent of allocated funds, while digital transformation disbursement stood at 29.9 percent, suggesting significant bottlenecks in project implementation and fund release mechanisms.

The assembly's concerns reflect Vietnam's broader push to harness science and technology as key drivers of economic development and competitiveness. Lawmakers emphasised the need to streamline administrative procedures and accelerate project approvals to ensure allocated resources reach intended beneficiaries more efficiently.

The findings underscore persistent challenges in Vietnam's public spending execution, where budget allocations frequently remain undisbursed, particularly in emerging priority areas such as innovation and digital infrastructure. Officials have signalled commitment to addressing implementation gaps and improving fund utilisation rates for the remainder of the fiscal year.