PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - Sept 24
HANOI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
- - - - FINANCIAL NEWS:
VIETNAM NEWS
-- September's trade deficit is expected to reach $500 million, while the gap in the first nine months is set to jump 86 percent to $15.8 billion, the government's statistics office said.
-- The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry petitioned the Vietnam Banking Association to discuss potential lending rate reduction for small businesses.
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TUOI TRE
-- Many banks have cut interest rates on short-term and long-term deposits following the lowest monthly increase in the September consumer price index since the beginning of the year.
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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM
-- Vietnam has only restvructured 80 state-owned enterprises nationwide so far this year, 15 percent of the annual target for 2008, the government said. Vietnam aims to privatise 1,500 state-owned companies by 2010.
-- The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange .VNI signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday with U.S. stock exchange NASDAQ OMX Group Inc, under which the NASDAQ will help strengthen the infrastructure, efficiency and liquidity of the exchange and Vietnam's stock market as a whole.
-- Song Da Financial Co signed a deal to support Song Da Urban & Industrial Zone Investment and Development Co SJS.HM by providing a variety of credit products, managing idle funds, arranging funds for investment projects and supplying other financial and monetary services.
-- Hanoi Fund Management and Thang Long Securities Co have signed an agreement with Saigon Asset Management Corporation to manage portfolios for Vietnam Equity Holding.
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ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:
HANOI MOI
-- The retail sales and services in the capital jumped 29.8 percent in the first nine months of this year from a year earlier period, following improvements in the distribution system.
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TUOI TRE
-- Tropical storm Hagupit is expected to make landfall in the northern province of Quang Ninh late on Wednesday, bringing torrential rains to several northern provinces including the capital Hanoi, weather forecasters said.
- - - - THANH NIEN
-- Bus and taxi companies in Ho Chi Minh City have not cut fares despite lower fuel prices.
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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM
-- January to September's gross domestic product of Hanoi would rise 10.9 percent from the same period last year, and the capital's annual growth has been projected to reach 11.4 percent from 2007.
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