Govt banned from specially-supplied commodities

Central government agencies will not be allowed to buy specially-supplied commodities, according to a notice published on the central government's website on Friday.

Commodities with logos indicating that they are "specially-supplied" or "customized" should not be bought by government agencies, and the audit authority will carry out strict supervision actions toward the practice of purchasing such commodities, according to a notice jointly issued by several ministries and commissions of the central government.

The production and sale of specially-supplied commodities has damaged the government's reputation, destroyed fair competition, and misled consumers, said the notice.

Specially-supplied commodities have also triggered public outcry on the Internet, with many netizens criticizing the practice.

Government agencies will be punished if they are found using commodities with special logos. Companies found producing such commodities will be punished in accordance with the law, the notice said.