The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued a document to the Department of Health and the People's Committees of 168 wards, communes and special zones on the implementation of a sample of the Commitment to prevent and combat the evils of prostitution and prostitution, sexual intercourse at service establishments that are easily exploited for prostitution activities.
The whole city of Ho Chi Minh City currently has 4,033 establishments identified as prone to prostitution, including restaurants, karaoke, massage, bars, nightclubs, etc.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health is assigned to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committees of wards, communes, special zones and relevant agencies and units to organize the implementation of Commitment formats to businesses and business establishments in Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, the Department of Health coordinates with competent authorities to regularly inspect and supervise the implementation of the commitment at business establishments.
The People's Committees of wards, communes and special zones are responsible for coordinating with the Department of Health to organize guidance, supervision and inspection of the implementation of the Commitment; promptly detect, prevent and handle acts of taking advantage of business activities to commit prostitution, prostitution and sex. In case of violations, the locality must be responsible to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee; at the same time, synthesize and report difficulties and problems in the implementation process.
According to the commitment form, businesses and business establishments must strictly comply with the registered content and business lines; fully implement the business conditions for business lines with conditions according to the provisions of law.
Business establishments are responsible for fully ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of employees through labor contracts and collective labor agreements; respecting the honor and dignity of employees; establishing labor management books, developing and registering labor regulations and salary scales; declaring and reporting on the situation of labor use in accordance with regulations.
Establishments must strictly manage the activities of employees, not allowing any conditions or assistance in any form such as alcoholism, brokerage, prostitution, prostitution, sexual exploitation or acts related to prostitution at the business location.
The commitment also clearly states the requirement not to use workers under 18 years old to do jobs that directly contact customers or work that negatively affect the development of physical strength, intelligence, and personality; fully implement the periodic health check-up regime, social insurance, and health insurance for workers.
Enterprises and business establishments commit to being fully responsible before the law if prostitution, prostitution, sexual exploitation, prostitution or other social evils occur in the place under their management.
According to the report of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee sent to the Ministry of Health on the results of prostitution prevention and control in 2025, in the past year, the interdisciplinary force inspected 1,647 establishments, detecting 297 establishments violating administrative regulations in the fields of culture, information and prevention and control of social evils.
Thereby, 254 establishments were fined with a total amount of more than 3.4 billion VND.
The authorities coordinated with the police to organize 441 public prostitution inspections; dismantled 107 cases at service establishments, and discovered 664 violators. Of these, 499 people were administratively sanctioned, 165 people were criminally prosecuted, mainly for prostitution and prostitution brokerage.
The report also pointed out that 2025 recorded an increase in prostitution that was not strictly regulated in current criminal law, creating legal gaps.
Notably, there is a more public appearance of male prostitution, same-sex prostitution and disguised prostitution activities in service businesses such as restaurants, massages, karaoke.
