PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - May 13

HANOI, May 13 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

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FINANCIAL NEWS:

TUOI TRE

-- PepsiCo Vietnam has started operating a $30-million snack factory in the southern province of Binh Duong, CEO Pham Phu Ngoc Trai said.

-- Vinamilk VNM.HM would hire England's Arsenal football team to promote 'Moment' instant coffee, marketing director Nguyen Tuan Anh said.

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ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

VIETNAM NEWS

-- Private operators would build 39 power plants with a combined capacity of 396 megawatt this year, the Industry and Trade Ministry said. Vietnam needs an estimated $3.83 billion a year to meet a power demand that would grow 10-15 percent a year by 2010.

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HANOI MOI

-- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed upon a project to hold dialogue on development policies between government officials and heads of major companies in Vietnam, with the first meeting expected in early July, the government office said.

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SAIGON GIAI PHONG

-- The government has decided now to keep the tax on land use right transfer unchanged at 4 percent for residential land and area for building projects as well as 2 percent on the land for agricultural, forestry, aquaculture and salt production.