PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - July 17

HANOI, July 17 (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.

- - - -

FINANCIAL NEWS:

- - - -

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- The State Bank has asked banks to provide foreign currency loans to the Vietnam Garment and Textile Group as the group was facing a shortage of foreign currency.

-- Partly private Dong A Bank was granted approval by the State Securities Commission to issue 24 million bonus shares to its existing shareholders.

- - - -

THANH NIEN

-- The State Bank of Vietnam has asked Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank STB.HM to dismiss the director of a transaction office in Ho Chi Minh City for offering loans at a rate of 23.04 percent, higher than the ceiling rate of 21 percent per year.

- - - -

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

- - - -

HANOI MOI

-- Car sales are expected to remain slow this year due to higher taxes and more difficult access to bank loans after banks tightened consumer finance credit.

- - - -