HANOI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

FINANCIAL NEWS:

TUOI TRE

-- The central bank has licensed Ho Chi Minh City-based Dong A Bank to export gold bars of non-SJC brand and import gold, and would allow three more banks to do similar business, said Nguyen Hoang Minh, deputy head of the central bank's branch in the city.

LAO DONG

-- Saigon Hanoi Bank said its consolidated net profit last year reached 26.97 billion dong ($1.29 million).

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Kinh Do Binh Duong Co will sell 13 million shares of Kinh Do Corp by March 23 to reduce its holding from the current 13.04 million shares, or 8.16 percent, the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange said.

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

VIETNAM NEWS

-- The State Treasury said it will push the bond swap programme this year, in which investors can buy and sell two different bond codes while issuing bonds at the same time, in a move to promote market liquidity.

LAO DONG

-- Vietnam's state budget deficit was an estimated 10.7 trillion dong ($514.7 million) in January, equivalent to 6.6 percent of the year's projection, the finance ministry said.

TUOI TRE

-- Private carrier Mekong Air said it will temporarily cease flights from Feb. 28 to undergo restructuring due to losses, making it Vietnam's second private airline to shut down after Indochina Airlines.

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Trade value between Vietnam and Russia is projected to double to $7 billion this year, following a 40 percent annual increase in 2012 to $3.5 billion, said Anatoly Borovik, Russia's Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City.

-- Vietnam's tourism industry targets to achieve revenues of up to $11 billion and receive 7 million-7.5 million foreign tourists by 2015, said the national tourism development programme.

($1=20,790 dong)

(Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Jijo Jacob) Keywords: PRESS DIGEST VIETNAM/

(hanoi.newsroom@reuters.com)(+844 3825 9623)

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