The local government of a district in central Ha Tinh Province has told its citizens, regulatory agencies, and hotels and restaurants to boost consumption of beer and mineral water products whose manufacturers are based in the locality.

Individuals, businesses, and other organizations in Ky Anh District must “prioritize using the Saigon beer products and Son Kim mineral water produced in Ha Tinh,” Nguyen Van Bong, chairman of the district’s People’s Committee, said in a dispatch posted on its website on Sunday.

The document was sent to the chairmen of the people’s committees of communes and towns in Ky Anh, as well as chief officials of the organizations, agencies, and bureaus in the district.

It was also wired to owners of local restaurants, hotels, motels, karaoke parlors, and eateries.

Bong said the directive is meant to respond to the “Vietnamese use Vietnamese goods” drive, which encourages consumers nationwide to use domestically manufactured products.

To this end, the chairman requested that seminars, conferences, and meetings held by local agencies serve Saigon beer products made by the Saigon Beer-Ha Tinh brewery, Son Kim mineral water, and other drinks and beverages made in Ky Anh.

Owners of the service facilities in the district, meanwhile, must “give priority to recommending and encouraging customers” to use the same products to “promote the images and products of Ha Tinh to them.”

Chairman Bong ended his dispatch by pressing that “all recipients of the document must strictly follow the order.”

The controversial document sparked immediate outrage among local members of the public.

But a retired chief official of Ha Tinh explained to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the dispatch was only meant to encourage Ky Anh residents to use products manufactured in the district rather than promote beer consumption.

The Ky Anh administration is allocated a VND300 billion (US$14.12 million) budget for operations per annum.

“So our policy is to prioritize using products made in the district in public spending to have money to pay taxes,” the former official said on condition of anonymity.

Neither the incumbent Ky Anh nor Ha Tinh officials could be immediately contacted for further information or comment on the issue.

In 2008, Ha Tinh imposed a ban on drinking alcoholic beverages during working and break time.

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