Top catering firms suffer sharp decline in business

Companies in the high-end catering sector have suffered a sharp drop in business in the wake of the government's crackdown on lavish spending, Shen Danyang, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, revealed Wednesday at a press conference.

The turnover of an undisclosed number of high-end catering enterprises has seen a substantial drop across the country ever since the central government issued a call in early December to rein in extravagance and corruption.

The fall has so far been around 35 percent in Beijing, more than 20 percent in Shanghai and nearly 30 percent in Ningbo, according to sample surveys, Shen said.

Spending on lavish dishes also fell during the holiday.

Sales of bird's nest and abalone shrank about 40 percent, while those of shark fin tumbled over 70 percent and luxury liquor sales also fell, said Shen.