In 2022, the retirement age for male workers under normal working conditions will be 60 years and 6 months, and for female workers 55 years and 8 months; instead of 60 years and 3 months and 55 years and 4 months respectively as in 2021.

Depending on the circumstances, workers may retire earlier or later, but not more than 5 years earlier than stipulated. Those eligible for early retirement include workers with 15 years or more of experience in strenuous or hazardous occupations as specified in the regulations; those who have worked for 15 years or more in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions; and those with a reduction in working capacity of 61% or more.

Conversely, highly skilled and technically proficient workers, and in certain special cases, may retire later if an agreement is reached with the employer.

Workers at the Dony Garment Company factory in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, on October 21, 2021. Photo:Quynh Tran

Article 169 of the 2019 Labor Code stipulates that the retirement age will be adjusted annually starting from 2021, adding three months for male workers until they reach 62 years old in 2028; and adding four months for female workers until they reach 60 years old in 2035.

Failure to sort waste will result in penalties.

According to the 2020 Environmental Protection Law, effective from January 1, 2022, household solid waste generated by households and individuals must be sorted into categories: reusable and recyclable solid waste; food waste; and other household solid waste. Waste collection and transportation facilities have the right to refuse to collect and transport household solid waste that is not sorted or packaged correctly, and to notify the competent authority for inspection and handling.

Project investors, owners, and management boards of new urban areas, high-rise apartment buildings, and office buildings must provide equipment and facilities for storing solid household waste in accordance with the types of waste stipulated in this Law. Residents in apartment buildings need to sort their waste according to the instructions of the investor, management board, etc.

According to Article 20 of Decree 155 of 2016, authorities may fine individuals and households between 15 million and 20 million VND for failing to sort waste.household solid wasteas per regulations.

Garbage collectors in Ward 14, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, July 2019. Photo:Thanh Nguyen

Gasoline prices are adjusted every 10 days.

According to Decree 95/2021 (amending and supplementing Decree 83 on petroleum business), from January 2, 2022, domestic retail gasoline and diesel prices will be adjusted three times a month, i.e., every 10 days instead of every 15 days as currently.

Fuel prices are adjusted three times a month (on the 1st, 11th, and 21st), with each adjustment spaced 10 days apart. If the adjustment period coincides with a weekend or public holiday, the adjustment will be postponed to the next working day. If the adjustment period coincides with the Lunar New Year, it will be postponed to the next adjustment period.

People refuel at a gas station in Hanoi. Photo:Ngoc Thanh

Not wearing a helmet can result in a fine of up to 600,000 VND.

Decree 123/2021, amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Decrees stipulating administrative sanctions for violations in the fields of maritime, road and rail transport; and civil aviation, will take effect from January 1, 2022.

Accordingly, the act of not wearing a helmet or wearing a helmet but not fastening the chin strap properly while operating a motorcycle, moped, electric motorbike, or electric bicycle will be fined from 400,000 VND to 600,000 VND. This fine is double that of Decree 100/2019 (200,000-300,000 VND).

According to this Decree, drivers who do not have all license plates attached, or who attach license plates in the wrong position; attach license plates with unclear letters or numbers; attach license plates that are bent, obscured, or damaged; or paint or add stickers that alter the letters, numbers, or color of the letters, numbers, or background of the license plate (including trailers and semi-trailers) will be fined 4-6 million VND.

Decree 100/2019 stipulates that the penalty for this offense ranges from 800,000 VND to one million VND. Therefore, the penalty for the aforementioned offense will increase sixfold from the beginning of 2022.

A motorist riding a motorbike without a helmet and without a face mask was asked to leave by traffic police. (Photo:)Huu Khoa

Administrative penalties of up to 1 billion VND.

From January 1, 2022, the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Handling Administrative Violations will come into effect. The law stipulates a maximum fine of up to one billion VND for individuals who violate regulations concerning the management of sea areas, islands and continental shelf; nuclear and radioactive material management; atomic energy; currency, precious metals, gemstones, banking, and credit; oil and gas and other mineral activities; environmental protection; and fisheries.

The law also stipulates a maximum fine of 500 million VND for violations in the fields of construction; forestry; land; and real estate business. A fine of 250 million VND applies to the fields of investigation, planning, exploration, exploitation, and use of water resources; irrigation; intellectual property; and journalism.

A fine of 200 million VND applies to the production and trading of prohibited and counterfeit goods; and consumer protection. A fine of 150 million VND applies to the following areas: price management; exploitation, production, and trading of construction materials; management of technical infrastructure projects; management and development of housing and offices; bidding; and investment.

Increase pensions and social insurance benefits.

According to Decree 108, from January 1, 2022, pensions, social allowances, and monthly allowances for low-income pensioners and those who retired before 1995 will be increased by 7.4% on top of their December 2021 pension levels.

Pensioners and those receiving benefits before January 1, 1995, will have their pensions adjusted to 2.5 million VND per month. Those receiving less than 2.3 million VND will receive an additional 200,000 VND per month; those receiving between 2.3 million and less than 2.5 million VND will have their pensions adjusted to 2.5 million VND.

Eight groups received increased pensions and allowances, including commune and ward officials, part-time commune-level workers; those receiving disability benefits, rubber plantation workers, those receiving benefits for work-related accidents and occupational diseases; soldiers and police officers who participated in the resistance war against the US and have been discharged and returned to their localities...

The funding for the increase in pensions and allowances will come from the state budget and the Social Insurance Fund. The total estimated adjustment cost is approximately 12,650 billion VND, of which the state budget will provide an additional 3,648 billion VND for those who retired before 1995.