Procter & Gamble Vietnam has opened a new plant in Binh Duong province to make disposable diapers.

The plant, which is expected to considerably reduce import of the product, is situated in the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park II and is the US giant's second plant in the country.

Its opening coincided with the 15th anniversary of the company's establishment in Vietnam .

With a population of more than 86 million people and an increasing demand for consumer goods, Vietnam was an important market for P&G, its general manager Omar Channawi said.

Deb Henretta, group president of P&G in Asia, said: " Vietnam is leading our growth in Asia and has done so in the last couple of years."

Vietnam provided exciting potential for the company to expand its portfolio, she said, adding it would continue to invest to ensure that "we can provide products of all categories that Vietnamese consumers want to buy."

"Our commitment … is to have Vietnamese running P&G Vietnam. So we want to grow local leaders and we want to support and train them so that they can get those leadership positions."

At P&G, a number of high positions that used to be the preserve of foreign employees in the past, including that of chief finance officer and plant manager, are now held by the Vietnamese.

P&G was one of the first American companies to come to Vietnam when the country opened its market in 1995, and has so far invested more than 140 million USD.

It makes hair care, personal care, laundry, fabric conditioner, baby care, men's grooming, and oral care products and owns popular brands like Pantene, Rejoice, Tide, Pringles, Whisper, Gillette and Oral B./.