PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - April 10

HANOI, April 10 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

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FINANCIAL NEWS:

VIETNAM NEWS

-- Vietnam's top shipping group Vinalines, or Vietnam National Shipping Lines, plans to invest about $3 billion in development through 2010, Chief Executive Mai Van Phuc said.

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TUOI TRE

-- Eximbank has cut its dong loan rates by up to 0.2 percentage point.

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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Vietinbank, the country's third-largest lender in assets, signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with top shipping firm Vinalines. Vietinbank has offered a credit limit of 1.4 trillion dong ($87.7 million) to Vinalines, the bank's chairman said.

-- HSBC forecast the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange index .VNI would rally to 600 points by the end of 2008.

-- Hong Kong's financial firm Temasia Capital Limited has become the strategic investor of Petrovietnam Insurance Joint Stock Corporation PVI.HN.

-- The State Securities Commission submitted a draft law on foreign share investment regulation.

-- The Hanoi Securities Trading Center will hold an auction to sell 1.5 trillion dong ($94 million) worth of government bonds on April 11 with a nominal annual coupon of 8.5 percent.

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