A work permit project that puts limitations on performers’ actions, if approved by the government, will take effect by 2016. There is concern regarding exactly who the project should apply to.

According to Nguyen Dang Chuong, head of the Performing Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, if approved, the project will see permits granted to some 10,000 local singers and models by 2016. Composers who perform onstage are also susceptible to the project and are required to apply for work permits, Chuong noted.

While the permit issue will be imposed on all local entertainers who perform in Vietnam, many wonder if expat Vietnamese singers, who are performing in their home country on a regular, continuous basis, should be required to apply for one.

Child performers, particularly those who have been catapulted to fame following their success in local versions of foreign reality shows such as The Voice Kids, are exempt from the work permits, though the performing schedules of some can be as hectic as those of their adult counterparts. The cultural ministry will certainly oppose granting the kid stars work permits, as that would violate children labor laws.

Ho Anh Tuan, deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, confirmed that if the project gets approved, the issue will be simplified to cut costs and spare troubles. However, inspection and penalization following the issue will be tightened to ensure no violations are made.

From now to the end of this year, the project will be posted on the ministry’s website to garner public opinions. The project’s regulations and sanctions will be specified in its guidance circular, expected to be completed this month.

In an earlier workshop, the Performing Arts Department estimated that the project won’t exceed US$48,077.

The department also suggested that the artists who have received the permits can have them suspended from six months to two years, or even recalled, depending on their violations. In addition, title-holding artists, or those who have earned the permits previously, are exempt from this round.

Though many showed support for the permit issue, some expressed reservation and doubts about its feasibility and effectiveness, dismissing it as a waste of the budget and an administrative burden.

A number of local singers and models also expressed their doubts over the necessity of the card issue and the obscurity regarding the criteria they’re supposed to meet to be eligible for the permits.

The issue is an attempt to combat repeated violations among singers and models.

In recent years, there have been countless scandals and breaches of performance regulations involving local models and singers. These include wearing revealing costumes on stage, lip-syncing, and making outrageous public statements. 

The ministry issued similar performing cards to local artists in 1999, which were discontinued in 2002 due to their ineffectiveness.