An alcohol ban for civil servants, in force since early this year, in a city of central China's Henan Province, has saved 43 million yuan (US$5.67 million), which one local official says can be used for building at least 40 elementary schools.

During an interview with Henan Business Daily on Monday, the party chief from Xinyang city, Wang Tie, said the sum of reception fees decreased by more than 30 percent during the first half of the year, compared with the same period last year, all thanks to the alcohol ban.

He added the fallouts of the alcohol ban are notable as well, adding that, based on a physical checkup in July, 127 officials were found to have diseases relating to alcohol, only half of those compared to the results of last year. Thus medical costs have surely been saved too.

A city once awash with alcoholism has set up three supervision teams who have so far punished 269 people involved in 108 cases of violating the regulation.

The local catering industry has born the brunt of the alcohol ban for civil servants. But, Wang Tie said, it should try to take its profits from a variety of channels rather than focusing exclusively on officials' purses.

(CRI August 15, 2007)