Credit institutions headquartered in these financial centers will not be bound by restrictions on to foreign ownership or foreign investment conditions when providing services there or across borders.

Hanoi is advancing its efforts to integrate technology into urban management by expanding the pilot program for cashless parking payments throughout the city.

One of the key priorities for the banking sector is to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as they generate a large number of jobs and contribute significantly to the economy.

State Bank Directive No 01, under which the State Bank regulates commercial lending and allocates credit growth quotas to different financial institutions, has stirred debate, including about how likely it is to affect the nation's stock market. Securities investment remains categorised in the regulation as an "unencouraged sector" for loans.

BIDV, Vietnam's third-largest lender by assets, will make its share debut in late June o­n the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, a state-run newspaper said o­n Wednesday, which will help expand investors' portfolio of bank stocks.

Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) o­n January 19 signed an agreement to provide a VND2.1 trillion ($100 million) loan for the Nhan Co Alumina mining project in the central highland province of Dak Nong.

The Hanoitimes -- The financial sector will give priority to curbing inflation, stabilizing the macroeconomy and maintaining a reasonable growth rate to ensure national financial security in 2012.

The final round of competition of Vietnam Anti-Corruption Initiative, VACI 2011 was launched o­n August 16 by the Government Inspectorate and the World Bank (WB) in Hanoi.

Thirty-four out of over 160 projects of the Vietnam Anti-Corruption Initiative 2011 (VACI) programme, jointly held by the Government Inspectorate and the World Bank (WB), were honoured at an award ceremony in Hanoi o­n August 17.

The Hanoitimes - Maritime Commercial Bank and Vietnam National Coal and Minerals Group (Vinacomin) signed an agreement in Hanoi o­n Wednesday to cooperate in many fields.

Vietnam was willing to share experience and work closely with Laos to promote the training of Lao lecturers, undergraduates and postgraduates in the field of finance and banking in Vietnam.

The State Bank of Vietnam has extended the deadline until the end of next year for bank card issuers to change their bank identification number (BIN).

The Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts in France (AVSE) has held its first economic and finance conference in the Economic Centre under Patheon-Sorbonne University in Paris.

The US dollar-Vietnamese dong exchange rate is expected to hold steady to the end of this year, but ANZ and Standard Chartered banks anticipates a dong devaluation early next year.

The Hanoi Times - Bao Viet Insurance & Finance Group, Vietnam’s biggest insurer, said pretax profit in 2009 exceeded its target by 19 percent to reach more than VND1 trillion (US$54 million).

The Hanoi Times - Commercial banks, after a period of trying to lure more clients to consumer loans, have begun setting additional conditions o­n loans.

The Hanoi Times - Commercial banks have gladly announced high profits for the first six months of the year. However, the banks’ joy has made businesses feel touched, since businesses have been promised by banks that they can share profit and success with banks.