According to projections, FTSE Russell is expected to officially reclassify Vietnam as a Secondary Emerging Market in September 2026. However, achieving the more stringent standards set by MSCI by 2027 remains a significant challenge — requiring sustained market stability, structural reforms, and concrete progress in transparency, disclosure, liquidity, and foreign investor rights.
In this journey, the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS) serves as a key leverage tool to help Vietnamese companies enhance transparency, strengthen investor confidence, and unlock access to international capital flows. Yet in practice, many Vietnamese firms have not fully utilized this framework. As the sole technical partner authorized by the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) within the ASEAN framework, VIOD has played a pivotal role as a bridge, helping Vietnamese companies align with international corporate governance practices through the adoption and assessment of the ACGS. Over 12 years of implementation, 10–20 Vietnamese companies have achieved scores above the regional average — a testament to the growing potential of corporate governance in Vietnam.
To ensure both market retention and upgrading, Ms. Ha Thu Thanh, Chairperson of VIOD, emphasized the evolving role of the Board of Directors (BoD): “The role of the Board must change — not only representing shareholders but also serving as the ‘chief architect’ of sustainable strategy, ensuring that the company stays on the right course over the next three to five years.”
