Vietnam sees H1 GDP +4.31 pct y/y, CPI +3 pct y/y

HANOI, June 15 (Reuters) - Vietnam's economic growth is forecast to slow to an annual pace of 4.31 percent in the first half of this year, even though second-quarter growth accelerated to an estimated 4.5 percent, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Friday.

He said Vietnam has been able to curb inflation, estimating the consumer price index in the first half would rise 3 percent from the same period a year ago, which he said was the lowest rate in three years.

Vietnam's gross domestic product grew 5.57 percent in the first six months of 2011 from a year earlier. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Editing by Kim Coghill)