In an effort to perfect the legal system and protect the rights of vulnerable groups, the Hai Phong City People's Committee has issued a directive for departments, sectors, and localities to urgently implement Government Decree No. 98/2026/ND-CP. This is an important document providing detailed regulations on administrative penalties in the fields of social protection, assistance, and children, effective from May 16, 2026.
A strict legal framework aimed at protecting vulnerable groups
Decree No. 98/2026/ND-CP clearly stipulates violations, penalty forms, penalty levels, and remedial measures for specific groups in the fields of social protection and children. The Decree applies to both Vietnamese and foreign individuals and organizations that commit violations on the territory, territorial waters, and exclusive economic zone of Vietnam. Regarding fines, the Decree sets the maximum penalty for individuals at 50,000,000 VND and for organizations at 100,000,000 VND. For the same violation, the fine for an organization is always double that for an individual. The statute of limitations for administrative penalties in this field is prescribed as 01 year.
Strictly handling acts that infringe upon the rights of the elderly and persons with disabilities
One of the focuses of the new Decree is protecting the honor, dignity, and care rights of the elderly and persons with disabilities. Specifically, acts of insulting, maltreating, or coercing persons with disabilities into heavy labor can be fined from 20,000,000 VND to 30,000,000 VND. Particularly, acts of coaxing, enticing, or coercing persons with disabilities to commit illegal acts will be penalized at a higher level, from 30,000,000 VND to 40,000,000 VND.
For the elderly, the Decree strictly prohibits acts of obstructing them from living with their descendants, or obstructing their property ownership rights and participation in cultural and educational activities. Acts of exploiting the care of the elderly for profit or coercing them into heavy labor will be fined from 20,000,000 VND to 30,000,000 VND, along with the remedial measure of being forced to return the illegal profits.
A solid shield for children in physical environments and cyberspace
Decree 98/2026/ND-CP devotes a large section to regulating violations against children's rights. Acts of violence such as insulting, isolating, chasing away, or using images and sounds to frighten children will be fined from 10,000,000 VND to 20,000,000 VND. For more serious acts such as forcing children into begging, enticing them to drop out of school, or exploiting children for profit, the fine can reach up to 50,000,000 VND for organizations.
Notably, in the context of technological development, the Decree has updated regulations on protecting children in the cyber environment (Article 37). Providing or sharing harmful information, pornographic or violent content, or failing to comply with requests to remove information about a child's private life online will be fined from 10,000,000 VND to 20,000,000 VND. Network service enterprises that do not have time control measures or fail to protect children from toxic content will face fines of up to 30,000,000 VND.
Hai Phong resolutely implements with the "06 clears" motto
To ensure the Decree is implemented synchronously and effectively immediately upon taking effect, the Chairman of the Hai Phong City People's Committee has requested agencies and units to deploy key tasks:
- Propaganda and review: Departments, sectors, and localities must organize the wide dissemination of the Decree's contents to all cadres, civil servants, and citizens. Simultaneously, they must review internal documents and procedures to promptly amend or replace them in accordance with the Government's new regulations.
- Leading role of the Department of Health: The City People's Committee has assigned the Department of Health as the focal agency to preside over and coordinate with relevant parties to advise on the implementation of the Decree across the city. The Department of Health is responsible for professional and technical guidance and organizing training to improve the capacity of the inspection and violation-handling staff.
- Strengthening discipline and inspection: The City Chairman requested increased administrative discipline and higher responsibility for leaders. Violations must be detected and handled promptly and according to regulations, preventing recidivism in units under their management.
System of remedial measures
In addition to fines, violating individuals and organizations are also subject to strict remedies such as: being forced to care for and nurture the victim; forced public apologies; forced recovery or deletion of disclosed private secrets; or being forced to return illegally collected funds.
Authority and responsibility for enforcement
The Decree clearly delineates the authority for penalties among many functional forces to ensure comprehensiveness. Chairpersons of People's Committees at all levels have the power to penalize from warnings to fines up to 50,000,000 VND (for the provincial level). Additionally, the People's Public Security, Border Guard, Coast Guard, Market Surveillance, and specialized Inspectorate organizations all have the authority to record violations and issue penalties within the scope of their assigned functions and tasks.
The issuance of the implementation plan for Decree 98/2026/ND-CP shows the determination of Hai Phong City leaders in building a safe, humane social environment that respects the law. The city commits to allocating full resources, funding, and equipment so that the law enforcement achieves the highest results, contributing to the firm protection of the rights of the elderly, persons with disabilities, and children in the area.
The Minister of Health is responsible for guiding, inspecting, and urging the implementation of this Decree nationwide, while at the local level, the Hai Phong Department of Health will be the unit that regularly synthesizes and evaluates results to report to the City People's Committee and higher-level agencies periodically.
Vu Nhan