PRESS DIGEST - Vietnam newspapers - July 7

HANOI, July 7 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- - - -

FINANCIAL NEWS:

TUOI TRE

-- The Vietnam Association of Financial Investors has proposed measures to accelerate privatisation of state-owned businesses, in which the state could hold up to a 95 percent of stake in privatised companies.

-- The State Bank of Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City branch has withdrawn licences of about 20 foreign exchange agents for violations in selling foreign currencies to individuals, the branch director Ho Huu Hanh said.

-- Several banks have cut dong deposit rates to below 19 percent per year.

- - - -

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM