PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - Feb 25

HANOI Feb 25 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

FINANCIAL NEWS:

LAO DONG

-- Banks and enterprises are holding a total of $21 billion in their foreign currency accounts, but the pressure on forex supply has persisted because companies remain concerned banks may adjust exchange rates again, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said.

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- The government will definitely not float the foreign exchange rate, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said.

-- Thursday's petrol price hike will add at least 0.65 percentage point to the consumer price index, said Finance Minister Vu Van Ninh.

DAU TU

-- The gap between deposit rates and the consumer price index needs to be kept at at least 0.5-1.0 percentage point to ensure sufficient funds raised for the economy and avoid affecting the macroeconomic balance, central bank governor Nguyen Van Giau said.

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

HANOI MOI

-- Bird flu outbreaks have now spread to poultry in an additional two provinces in northern Vietnam, bringing to five the total provinces infected with H5N1 virus, the Animal Health Department said.

-- Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong will visit Vietnam between Feb. 28 and March 2, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said.

LAO DONG

-- More than 2,000 Vietnamese workers have been evacuated from dangerous areas in Libya and are waiting to return home soon, the Labour Ministry's Overseas Labour Management Department said. About 10,000 Vietnamese workers are now working in Libya, it said.

-- Vietnam will accelerate the equitisation of state-owned enterprises and the completion of the legal framework for the stock market, Deputy Finance Minister Tran Xuan Ha said.

SAIGON GIAI PHONG

-- Vietnam's economy can grow 7 percent this year if credit liquidity is ensured, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said.

TUOI TRE

-- The Finance Ministry said it will raise petrol prices again in the second quarter if world prices continue to go up. Otherwise, it will re-impose import duties and cut retail prices. (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)