HANOI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

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FINANCIAL NEWS:

TUOI TRE

-- The Finance Ministry said the import duty on paper made in ASEAN countries will be cut to between 0 percent and 3 percent as from Sept. 15. Vietnam has also slashed the import tariff on paper products from non-ASEAN countries to 20-25 percent from 32 percent.

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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Partly private Sacombank <STB.HM> said it has secured the "Best bank in Vietnam 2008" prize awarded by Finance Asia magazine.

-- Vietnam International Bank said it has cut dong and dollar loan rates by up to 2.5 percentage point per year. The bank offers the preferential rates to all customers, especially the businesses in the export and import sector.

-- FPT Corporation <FPT.HM> said its January-July's gross profit reached nearly 676 billion dong ($40.9 million), 60.4 percent of the target for the whole of this year.

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

VIETNAM NEWS

-- Vietnam and the United States began their third annual meeting in Hanoi on Monday to assess the impact of Agent Orange/dioxin at three southern airbases and to discuss the use of $3 million from the U.S. Congress for dioxin mitigation and health activities.

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HANOI MOI

-- State-run Vietnam Bank for Social Policies has helped 1.4 million families to escape poverty since it was set up in 2002.

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LAO DONG

-- Gia Lai provincial authorities have detected 1,500 square metres of cannabis plantation, in a case that could be the largest involving cannabis cultivation in the Central Highlands.

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THANH NIEN

-- Most of rice mills in the Mekong Delta are facing large stockpiles of paddy, so buying agents have halted their purchase, causing domestic prices to fall, rice exporters said.\

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THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Vietnamese cashew processors plan to import another 50,000 tonnes of raw nuts, having bought 200,000 tonnes due to a domestic shortfall, the Vietnam Cashew Association said.

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