VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2002.

HANOI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers:

QUAN DOI NHAN DAN:

- By July 18, the Ministry of Planning and Investment had licensed to 345 foreign direct investment projects with total registered capital of nearly US$594 million, a year-on-year increase of 24.5 per cent in number of projects, but a year-on-year fall of 48 per cent in number of registered capital.

- Industrial Parks and Export Processing Zones in the Mekong delta province of Can Tho had by the end of July created more than 9,966 jobs to local people.

KINH TE VIETNAM & THE GIOI:

- Over the first seven months of this year, Vietnam has received more than 1.52 million foreign visitors, an increase of 10.9 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Tourism Administration.

- Addressing a recent national workshop to review the country's maritime transport and to discuss the expansion of deep sea and container ports as a major lever to boost exports ...