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| A parcel sorting conveyor system of Viettel Post__Photo: Internet |
The draft revised Law on Post introduces sender identification as one of its notable new provisions, marking a major shift in the management of delivery activities amid the rapid growth of e-commerce and the digital economy.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the drafting agency, the postal market has changed dramatically in the 15 years since the 2010 Law on Post was enacted. While postal services previously served mainly correspondence needs, packets and parcels serving e-commerce now account for more than 90 per cent of total postal volume. Statistics show that the total volume of postal items increased more than fourfold between 2020 and 2025. However, this rapid growth has also given rise to risks involving smuggling, prohibited goods, forged documents and other unlawful acts committed through postal services.
Under the current law, “postal items” include letters, packets and parcels that are lawfully accepted, transported and delivered via the postal network. The draft, meanwhile, defines a “postal item” as a letter, packet or parcel that is accepted, sorted, transported and delivered to the recipient’s address or another agreed location, provided that each item is uniquely identified and trackable throughout the entire process of service provision.
The draft also stipulates that senders are obliged to provide identification information in accordance with the law on electronic identification and authentication. Information about the sender, the recipient and the postal item must be fully and accurately recorded. Postal enterprises will be required to identify the direct postal service user during the lodgement process, while complying with regulations on safety, security and postal data protection.
The draft devotes a chapter to digital post and the assurance of safety and security in postal activities. Accordingly, postal data includes information about the postal item, the service user and the entire process of acceptance, sorting, transportation and delivery.
Under the principles of digital post development, data must be linked to each individual postal item, allowing information to be recorded, stored and retrieved throughout the entire service process. Postal systems must also be capable of connecting, sharing and interoperating data.
Postal enterprises are responsible for creating and retaining data generated during the provision of services, while applying data protection measures commensurate with their risk levels and scale of operation. In the event of data loss or disclosure, enterprises are required to notify competent agencies and related parties.
The drafting agency noted that postal activities are no longer merely traditional delivery services but are being transformed into digital post, operating on data and technology platforms. Therefore, it is necessary to establish identification and tracking mechanisms to ensure control throughout the entire service process.
The concept of “postal services” has also been expanded to cover stages such as warehousing, order processing, packaging, returns and cash-on-delivery, or COD, services.
The draft permits postal enterprises to provide postal data upon lawful written requests from competent state agencies, provided that the provision of such data serves the correct purpose, remains within the necessary scope and does not impose unreasonable costs on the enterprise.
According to the drafting agency, every transaction in the digital economy begins in a digital environment but is only completed when goods are physically delivered. The draft also paves the way for new models such as delivery by robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, and platforms using crowd-sourced resources for goods transport. New technologies or models may be used under a regulatory sandbox.
As scheduled, the draft will be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration at its October 2026 session.- (VLLF)
