DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

A local unit of Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corp. (TM, 7203.TO) and local packaging products company Envases Venezolanos SA (ENV.CA) are the first private companies to have bonds listed on Venezuela's new state-run securities exchange, the Finance Ministry said Monday.

The Bicentennial Public Securities Exchange officially launched Monday after weeks of delays and is part of President Hugo Chavez's plan to establish a "socialist exchange" for the country's retail investors.

In a statement, Planning and Finance Minister Jorge Giordani said the bourse will be used to finance the nation's economic development, as well as provide an incentive for "saving and productive investment."

He added that the operation has been designed to "prevent speculation" and minimize the costs associated with issuance and trading.

Many critics expect the exchange to become another vehicle for officials to allocate U.S. dollars, since tight government regulation has limited the availability of the greenback and contributed to currency imbalances in the country.

-Venezuela@dowjones.com