Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade appoints new deputy minister

Nguyen Viet Son, a longtime Ministry of Industry and Trade official who rose through the oil and gas sector, has become Vietnam’s newest deputy minister. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc presented the prime minister’s appointment decision on the afternoon of Sept. 6.

Son was born in Ha Tinh in 1970. He trained as a petrochemical engineer and holds a doctorate in refining and petrochemical catalysis. Before his appointment, he led the ministry’s Department of Oil and Coal and held several important positions across the industry and trade sector.

His appointment brings the ministry’s number of deputy ministers to four. The other deputy ministers are Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, Phan Thi Thang and Truong Thanh Hoai. Le Manh Hung serves as minister.

Congratulating the ministry and Son on behalf of the government, Pham Gia Tuc said the ministry faced a particularly important and demanding role. The government plans to assign it additional functions, including responsibilities tied to the economy’s energy needs, export promotion, domestic and overseas market expansion, and market regulation.

Tuc urged ministry leaders to ensure the economy has enough energy and to prevent electricity or fuel shortages under any circumstances. He also called on them to make the most of free-trade agreements to expand export markets, control the trade deficit and develop domestic production and consumption.