This is the main content that many delegates agreed with and emphasized at the Workshop "Drinking culture and responsibility to the community", taking place on June 29 in Hanoi.
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| Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of Vietnam Beverage Magazine, spoke at the Workshop. (Source: VBA) |
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of Vietnam Beverage Magazine , Vietnam's Beer - Alcohol - Beverage industry is a technical economic sector that makes an important contribution to the country's socio-economic development. Each year, the entire industry contributes about 60 trillion VND to the State budget, directly and indirectly creating jobs for millions of workers, meeting domestic consumption and export needs.
Beverages in general, including beer, wine, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages in particular, are products that serve daily consumption needs, are both essential and closely associated with cultural characteristics. Since the renovation and integration, the economy has grown, people's lives have improved, tourists and foreign investors to Vietnam have increased, the beverage industry has developed strongly, with branded and diverse products, pushing back smuggled goods and contributing to export value, with a large total production value, bringing many contributions to the economy and society.
At the same time, the Beverage industry promotes many other areas in the supply chain, including agriculture, logistics, mechanics, biochemistry, packaging, and services. In particular, in the period of economic recovery and development after Covid-19, the industry is an important factor in the recovery and development of tourism services. Typical businesses in the industry are interested in community activities and sustainable development. Along with that, activities to promote responsible drinking; reuse or recycle nearly 99% of waste or by-products, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, etc. are of interest and investment.
Sharing from a cultural perspective, historian Duong Trung Quoc, former member of the 4th National Assembly, said that in any historical period, drinking culture is very important. This issue has even been discussed in the National Assembly, aiming to control and improve drinking culture, build responsibility for consumers, contribute to changing behavior, avoid abuse, comply with the regulation "if you drink alcohol, do not drive", limit traffic accidents and consequences in families and society.
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| Mr. Nguyen Van Viet, Chairman of Vietnam Beer, Alcohol and Beverage Association (VBA). (Source: VBA) |
Mr. Nguyen Van Viet, Chairman of the Vietnam Beer, Alcohol and Beverage Association (VBA), emphasized that building a responsible drinking culture is also a way to promote and enhance the national image.
According to Mr. Viet, beer was brought to Vietnam by the French in the 19th century, Saigon beer (1875) and Hanoi beer (1890). During the anti-American resistance war and the subsidy years, due to lack of raw materials, malt, the main ingredient in beer production, had to be imported from abroad. Beer could only be produced in small quantities and was only distributed to state agencies and trading stores, so people had to queue up to buy beer.
In the late 90s, due to insufficient production to meet demand, Van Luc beer flooded the market. The beer industry has only developed since the government opened up the economy. Breweries have invested in depth and increased capacity, and many large beer companies in the world have entered Vietnam, including big international names.
"Domestic beer brands and foreign enterprises producing beer in Vietnam have advanced technology, modern equipment, automation, creating high-quality products, not only meeting domestic consumption needs but also exporting to a number of countries around the world... These drinks have become national brands used in banquets, welcoming heads of state, and welcoming distinguished guests.
Thereby contributing to introducing and promoting the country's culinary culture to a large number of international tourists. Wine and beer products are not only drinks associated with culture, but also have health benefits if used appropriately, in moderation and with a sense of responsibility," Mr. Viet cited.
After a period of being severely affected by the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, the Beverage industry is currently facing many difficulties in the new context. Many management regulations are not suitable, which may lead to a reduction in production and business in the industry and its consequences for society.
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| Overview of the Workshop “Drinking Culture and Responsibility to the Community”. (Source: VBA) |
2023 is forecasted to have more and more difficulties and challenges, directly affecting businesses, including those in the beverage industry. To create conditions for businesses to recover and develop, businesses in the beverage industry hope that the State should not consider increasing special consumption tax.
“Faced with challenges and difficulties in 2023, beverage businesses want the State to stabilize special consumption tax policies, reduce import and export procedures, reduce paper documents and move towards applying fully online customs, be flexible in credit policies, and stabilize interest rates to support businesses to recover and develop,” the VBA representative recommended.
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