PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - April 2

HANOI, April 2 (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.

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FINANCIAL NEWS:

VIETNAM NEWS

-- Sacombank STB.HM said it was selling certificates of deposit to raise $30 million with interest rates of between 5.63 percent and 6.25 percent.

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NHAN DAN

-- The central bank said it would not change its main interest rates in April, keeping the base rate for dong loans at 8.75 percent, the discount rate at 6 percent and the rediscount rate at 7.5 percent.

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LAO DONG

-- Commercial banks said they were ready to cut the interest rate on dong deposits to 11 percent and that on dollars to 6 percent from Wednesday, as agreed between members of the Vietnam Banks Association.

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TUOI TRE

-- Pacific Airlines, Vietnam's second-largest carrier, protested a decision by fuel jet monopoly Vinapco to raise prices by 26 percent to 750,000 dong ($46) per tonne from April 1. Four of its flights were delayed on Tuesday after Vinapco refused to pump fuel.

-- Car importers said they would raise prices by up to 15 percent from Wednesday, when the new import tariff of 70 percent became effective.

-- The Health Ministry said medical prices would rise in the second quarter but pledged to keep the rise below the consumer price index increase.

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THANH NIEN

-- The central bank has licensed two new banks, FPT with registered capital of 1 trillion dong ($63 million) and Lien Viet with registered capital of 3.3 trillion dong ($208 million).

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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Vietcombank, one of Vietnam's largest lenders, would develop into a multi-functional financial group, chairman Nguyen Hoa Binh said.

-- Eximbank will raise its registered capital to 7.4 trillion dong ($464 million) this year, following shareholder approval.

-- The government has approved a plan to restructure companies controlled by the Defence Ministry.

-- Vinamilk VNM.HM projected 20 percent revenue and profit growth this year.

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ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

VIETNAM NEWS

-- Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko will pay an official visit to Vietnam between April 7 and 8.

-- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called on businesses to join hands and support the government in the fight against inflation.

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QUAN DOI NHAN DAN

-- Construction of a new building to house the National Assembly at the current place on Ba Dinh square will be completed in February 2011, according to a draft project.

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SAIGON GIAI PHONG

-- Routine blackouts in Hanoi in the past week to maintain the power grid have been changing the lives of many people.

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LAO DONG

-- A hospital treating cholera patients in Hanoi has been facing an overload with 20 cases being admitted each day in the past week while the spread of the disease had yet to slow, doctors said.

- - - - (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)