PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - July 22

HANOI, July 22, 2009

(Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

FINANCIAL NEWS:
THANH NIEN-- Experts forecast the VN Index .VNI will rise to between 500 and 550 points by the end of 2009, an increase of 20-30 percent from the current level.

THOI BAO KINH TE VIET NAM-- The VND-Index, developed by Bien Viet Securities Co and its partners, was introduced on Monday to measure dong strength against currencies of Vietnam's major trade partners with the beginning level of 100 points for Jan 2009.

THANH NIEN-- Ho Chi Minh City-based Southern Bank said it would issue 27.69 million shares to existing shareholders from late July to pay its 2008 dividend and as bonus shares to raise its registered capital.

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:
VIETNAM NEWS-- Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai warned of the impact of climate change, particularly the rise in sea level, on rice and seafood production in Vietnam's Mekong Delta food basket.

HANOI MOI-- Wind power plants can be built in about 8.6 percent of Vietnam's territory, with a total estimated capacity of 1,780 megawatt, energy experts said.-- The Hanoi municipal government said it would try to achieve annual economic growth of up to 9 percent in the 2011-2015 period.

SAIGON GIAI PHONG-- Vietnam will build 74 new power plants with a combined capacity of 81,000 megawatts in the 2006-2025 period, Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang said.

THANH NIEN-- National carrier Vietnam Airlines and state-run lender Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) are scheduled to establish a Cambodia-based airline on July 27.

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM-- The Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association said it will propose that the government stockpile 200,000 tonnes of coffee from this October to try and cope with speculation by some international trading firms.

DAU TU-- The French development agency ADF has announced aid worth 836,000 euros to help the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Exchange improve its performance over the next three years and develop into an effective tradding floor for Vietnam's agriproducts in the longer term. (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)