HANOI (BLOOMBERG) - GIC has hit a snag as it seeks government approval for its planned investment in Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam JSC, the nation's biggest lender by market value, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The deal, originally expected to be completed by the end of 2016, hasn't yet been approved by Vietnamese authorities, according to the people. The government has withheld approval in part because GIC proposed to buy stock in Vietcombank at less than the market price, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

Shares of Vietcombank have risen 36 per cent in the past 12 months, giving it a market value of US$6.2 billion (S$8.8 billion).

The lender trades at about 3 times book value, compared with an average 1.1 times for listed Vietnamese banks, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

GIC said in August it reached a preliminary pact to buy 305.8 million new Vietcombank shares, equal to a 7.7 per cent holding. It agreed to buy the stock at a discount to the market price, for a total of less than US$400 million, people with knowledge of the matter said at the time. The parties said they aimed to complete the deal by the fourth quarter last year, subject to further negotiations and regulatory approvals.

The Vietnamese government hasn't made a final decision to block the deal, and GIC may be able to reapply for approval, according to the people. Representatives or officials at GIC, the Vietnam government press office and the central bank's press office declined to comment. Vietcombank Chairman Nghiem Xuan Thanh and Chief Executive Officer Pham Quang Dung didn't answer phone calls seeking comment.