VNBA Council successfully convenes the 2nd meeting, Term VIII: A strong shift from mindset to concrete action

The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Tran Minh Binh – Chairman of the VNBA Council and Chairman of the Board of Directors of VietinBank, and Mr. Dao Minh Tu – Vice Chairman cum Secretary General of VNBA. Attendees included Mr. Do Viet Hung - Vice Chairman of VNBA, Member of the Board of Directors of Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank); Ms. Vu Thi Hai Phuong - Vice Chairwoman of VNBA, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB); along with members of the Association Council, Inspection Committee, leaders of professional committees and representatives of Standing Committees and units.

The core objective of the meeting was to evaluate the implementation of tasks following the Term VIII Congress, review activities in the first half of 2026, and set out key directions for the last six months of the year. Additionally, the Council dedicated significant time to in-depth discussions on consolidating the organization and personnel, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of the Specialized Committees.

Transitioning from strategic planning to practical action

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the VNBA Council Tran Minh Binh emphasized the pivotal significance of the event: "This is not only the first meeting following the Term VIII Congress but also marks the transition from a planning mindset to action; transforming the orientations approved by the Congress into specific programs and tasks with clear deliverables, timelines, and implementation responsibilities."

In the context of the economic and banking landscape facing numerous fluctuations in the first half of 2026, Chairman Tran Minh Binh acknowledged VNBA's excellent role as a bridge, proactively providing feedback on draft legal documents and resolving difficulties for its members. However, given the increasingly high demands for macroeconomic stability, risk control, and digital transformation, he requested the Council to further elevate its orienting, coordinating, and supervisory roles, ensuring all activities closely align with the practical needs of the industry.

Sharing the significance of the agenda, Vice Chairman cum Secretary General Dao Minh Tu stated that the meeting would decide on major issues, serving as a foundational basis for the preliminary review conference for the first six months of the year with members on July 15. Leaders of the Standing Agency committed to fully absorbing the Council's feedback to perfect the personnel structure of the Committees and build a coordination mechanism with clear binding responsibilities, aiming to optimize resources and create a synergetic strength for the entire Association.

Operational milestones and breakthrough orientations of specialized committees

During the working session, the Standing Agency's report highlighted comprehensive positive results in the first half of 2026. Activities ranging from contributing to policy mechanisms and protecting members' rights, to communication, training, and international cooperation all closely followed the proposed agenda. The Standing Agency also put forward practical proposals such as: Developing a cross-border QR handbook, finalizing the Term VIII Action Program, and a plan to renovate the VNBA headquarters.

A highlight of the meeting was the presentation of action plans by the Heads of three Specialized Committees (Policy Committee, Technology Committee, and Risk Committee). In the coming time, the Committees will organize a series of in-depth seminars to stay ahead of major industry trends, including:

• Data governance and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in banking operations.

• Digital identity and payments in the AI era.

• Ensuring system security, information safety, and periodic surveys on risk management.

• Analyzing the impact of tax policies and new accounting standards.

Discussing at the forum, Council members highly appreciated the Committees' plans, simultaneously suggesting early and remote approaches to issues and strengthening cross-linking between Committees to maximize collective intelligence and avoid wasting resources.

Consensus on major decisions: Focusing on substantive efficiency

Concluding the meeting, Chairman Tran Minh Binh evaluated the working session as successful, comprehensive, and profound. To realize the objectives in the new phase, he directed the immediate implementation of 4 key priorities:

1. Systematizing the Action program: The Standing Agency must urgently absorb feedback to finalize the Action Program implementing the Term VIII Congress Resolution (2026-2031) in a highly professional manner.

2. Breakthroughs in policy advocacy: Give top priority to participating in mechanism development. The Association needs to proactively approach and provide feedback right from the initial drafting stages to improve the quality of legal documents, saving resources for drafting agencies and credit institutions.

3. Consolidating personnel and strengthening the Technology - Risk Committee linkage: Focus on selecting senior leaders with deep expertise and practical management capabilities to join the Committees. Especially, in the face of increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity risks, the Chairman requested the establishment of a close linkage mechanism, allowing members to cross-operate between the Technology Committee and the Risk Committee to enhance advisory efficiency.

4. Promoting collective strength: Council members must play a nucleus role in connecting and maximizing the infrastructure, material foundations, and resources of member organizations to serve common interests.

Based on a high degree of consensus, the Council voted to approve 100% of the key matters, including: The Action Program implementing the Term VIII Congress Resolution (2026-2031); the task assignment plan for Council members; the resolution to add 3 Vice Chairmen to consolidate the Policy Committee's personnel; and the resolution to renovate the Association's headquarters.

The 2nd Meeting concluded with firm confidence from Chairman Tran Minh Binh: With the Council's spirit of solidarity and responsibility, the Standing Agency's proactiveness, and the enduring companionship of its members, the Vietnam Banks Association will victoriously achieve the goals of the new term, firmly protecting the legitimate rights and continuously elevating the position of the member organizations' community.

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