International visitors to state agencies in Vietnam won’t be short of opportunities to try locally-made drinks, as the country considers banning the use of imported beverages while hosting foreign guests.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance is collecting feedback on a draft circular that stipulates how the state budget can be used to host foreign guests at state agencies or when they take part in international conferences in Vietnam.

The finance ministry is encouraging state agencies and other relevant units to exercise thrift in spending for these types of activities, with the draft bill recommending a limit on welcome flowers or gifts, hiring meeting venues and dining costs.

According to the draft circular, state agencies will be allowed between VND500,000 (US$22) and VND1.2 million ($53) per day to cover two meals, including beverages, for one international guest.

“Vietnamese-made alcohol or other drinks should be used to host international guests,” the ministry underlined in the document.

The proposal has won support from some officials and is expected to come into effect next year.

Nguyen Mai Bo, a member of the Committee for National Defense and Security, under the lawmaking National Assembly, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday that the proposal is appropriate as it will have save taxpayers’ money.

“A bottle of imported wine could cost a few thousand dollars, and it is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money if we were to use the state budget to buy these types of products,” he said.