Government spending less on wine for its guests

Average cost of a bottle is now $230.

This compares to $420 from 2011 to 2012.

The government explained that it is an established practice for individual offices and bureaus to buy wine with public funds for function guests. In doing so, they must comply with the Stores & Procurement Regulations.

The expenditures involved, being part of departmental expenses, are subject to audit.

In the past three financial years, the Chief Executive's Office, the offices of the three secretaries of departments, and 12 policy bureaus bought a total of 2,117 bottles of wine costing $671,900, or about $317 a bottle.

Table wines accounted for 99.72% of alcohol purchases, while hard liquor constituted only 0.28%.

Total expenditure on wine purchases in the past financial year was 78% and 80% of that in 2010-11 and 2011-12.