VIETNAM

State-Owned Firm to Go Public: Food processor Long An Export Co.’s stock sale this week will make it one of the few state companies with shares in public hands. Nguyen Duc Thanh, Long An’s director, said the company will sell $3.1 million worth of stock. Selling shares in state-owned enterprises is a new development for Communist Vietnam. By shifting ownership to shareholders, the government hopes to improve management and create efficiency by freeing the companies from state control.