Vietnam's VietinBank aims to lend $25.4-B in 2013

VietinBank has set a lending growth target of 20 percent this year.

Loans rose to an estimated 13 to 15 percent in 2012, and the bank plans to keep bad debts below 2 percent of loans this year.

VietinBank's loans this year would reach US$25.4 billion, based on the lender's estimated credit in 2012 of 440 trillion dong.

Vietnamese banks have been struggling with bad debt largely from state-owned firms and a frozen real estate market, while the slowing economy last year hit the businesses sector.

VietinBank's 2013 credit growth target is well above the 12 percent set by the State Bank of Vietnam for the entire banking system this year.

VietinBank aimed to boost its total assets by 15 percent this year, doubling the growth recorded in 2012, the newspaper reported.

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