HANOI, March 9 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

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FINANCIAL NEWS:

SAIGON GIAI PHONG

-- Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnam Tin Nghia Bank, which was renamed from Pacific Bank, said it would sell 56.65 million shares to the public in late March to double its capital base to 1.13 trillion dong ($66.6 million).

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TUOI TRE

-- The government's plan to issue dollar-denominated bonds on the domestic market would also help stabilise the dollar/dong exchange rate, banking experts said.

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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Real estate developer Hoang Anh Gia Lai <HAG.HM> projected this year's gross profit to rise 14.3 percent from last year to 1.15 trillion dong ($67.7 million).

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

VIETNAM NEWS

-- Any electricity project that is behind schedule must be transferred to other investors, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told state utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN). Dung said slow construction would contribute to electricity shortages in the coming years.

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TUOI TRE

-- Car demand has picked up as consumers rushed to beat a tax hike which will take effect from April 1, dealers said.

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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Banks have lent 113.7 trillion dong ($6.69 billion) under the government's rate subsidy programme, banks said in their preliminary reports sent to the central bank last Friday.

-- February's car sales dropped 25 percent from the same month last year to 6,671 units, the Vietnam Automobiles Manufacturers Association said.

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DAU TU

-- The construction of a new bridge called Nhat Tan over the Red River in Hanoi has started. The bridge, linking Hanoi and Noi Bai International Airport, is partly funded by the Japanese government at a cost of nearly $780 million.

- - - - (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)

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