The Prime Minister of Vietnam is with the head of the government, it directs the Council of Ministers (from where its name of President of the Council of Ministers until the September 24th 1992), names the members of its cabinet. The Prime Minister is chosen by the president among the members of the National Assembly.

In accordance with the Constitution of the socialist Republic of Vietnam, attributions of the Prime Minister are:

Article 114

The Prime Minister has the following missions and attributions:

1. To direct the activities of the Government, the members of this one and the local popular committees; to chair the meetings of the Government;

2. To propose with the National Assembly to create or dissolve ministries and administrations having ministerial row, to submit to the approval of the National Assembly proposals relating to the nomination, the discharge and the revocation of the Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and other members of Gouvernement."
3. To name, revoke and put an end to the functions vice-ministers and other personalities of equivalent row; to approve the results of election, revocation, change or suspension of functions of the Presidents and the vice-presidents of the popular Committees of province;
4. To suspend or cancel the decisions, circulars or directives of the Ministers and other members of the Government, the decisions, the directives of the popular Committees of province and Presidents of these Committees which are contrary with the Constitution, the law and the texts of the higher authorities;
5. To suspend the application of the Council Resolutions popular of province which is contrary with the Constitution, the law and the texts of the higher authorities and to ask for the cancellation of these resolutions the Standing Committee of the National Assembly;
6. To return account to the nation, by means of the media, of the important matters having to be regulated by the Government.

Table below watch Prime Ministers (with, before 1992, the title of President of the Council of Ministers) successive since the creation of a unit government after the end of the war.