PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - Oct 6

HANOI, Oct 6 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

FINANCIAL NEWS:

TUOI TRE

-- The central bank's decision to keep the benchmark base rate unchanged is an indication that inflation is still under control, experts said. -- Some banks have raised deposit interest rates to 10.5 percent per year in a rate rally but have faced difficulties in raising funds, said a Vietnam Banks Association official. -- State budget income in the first nine months of 2009 was down 9 percent compared with the same period last year, said the Finance Ministry.

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM -- Loans in Ho Chi Minh City banks in the first nine months of 2009 increased 33.6 percent from the same period last year while their deposit growth rate was 32.6 percent, the city's central bank branch said.

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

TUOI TRE

-- Vietnam and the United Kingdom aim to raise trade and UK investment in Vietnam to a combined $3 billion in coming years from $2 billion at present, following a meeting between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and visiting Prince Andrew, Duke of York, on Monday.

-- Rice exporters under the Vietnam Food Association have purchased 378,526 tonnes of rice for stockpiling, or about 76 percent of a government plan. The purchase will end on Nov. 20, the government has said.

THANH NIEN

-- Vietnam could be able to mine coal from the northeastern province of Quang Ninh for 100 years more if it exploits 65 million to 70 million tonnes per year, said Nguyen Manh Quan, head of the Industry and Trade Ministry's Heavy Industry Department.

-- Typhoon Parma could affect the seas around the Paracels and fishermen should stay away from the area this week, meteorologists said.

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- The government said it has extended state investment to support Vietnam General Rubber Corp to plant 100,000 hectares of rubber each in Laos and Cambodia. (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)