The Beer Industry of El Salvador is Self-Regulated

The main goal of the Self-Regulation Code is to encourage responsibility in the beer consumption and to provide commercial communication and marketing standards, which are based in the following basic principles.

28/11/08 Industrias La Constancia and AmBev Central America, both key players of the national beer market, submitted an advertising and promotional code of self-regulation

The code embraces the policies and standards that both companies have been applying in their day-to-day tasks, but now, these are integrated in a complete document, which involves a joint compliance accountability.

The main goal of the Self-Regulation Code is to encourage responsibility in the beer consumption and to provide commercial communication and marketing standards, which are based in the following basic principles: Legislation compliance, Promote responsible consumption, Protection of underage people and Advertising Ethics.

The compliance and application of the code will be monitored by the National Advertising Council. The Council will receive the communications and complaints from interested parties that can impact the commitment taken under the code.

During the ceremony, the representatives of the El Salvador Beer Industry signed the first issue of the self-regulation code, José Carlos Bonilla, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs of Industrias la Constancia, José Luis González, Director of AmBev Central America and acting as honorary witnesses, Gerardo Funes, President of the National Council of Advertising and the Secretary of Cerveceros Latinoamericanos (Latin American Brewers) José Manuel Juanatey.

The Vice-President of Corporate Affairs of Industrias La Constancia, José Carlos Bonilla expressed the following: "Our Company is engaged with advertising ethics, with responsible consumption, with the protection of under-aged people, with the prevention of car accidents, and with compliance of the national legislation. Our model of sustainable development is the vision that leads us to maintain best practices in manufacture, supply chain, human rights, sales, distribution, transparency and social investment".

Additionally, the Director of AmBev Central America, José Luis González said: "AmBev operates at a global level based on what the local legislation demands and at the same time, encourages self-regulatory actions to implement all the business activities in an ethical and responsible way. There is no doubt that this act represents a great responsibility and reassures our commitment with the El Salvadorian market. We are very proud to sign this document as an Industry, which we are sure will set an example for other industries and countries in the region".

The adoption of the Advertising and Promotional Code of Self-Regulation is a voluntary decision of the brewing companies that operate in the national market and through this there is an attempt to implement marketing and commercial practices focused towards the responsible consumption of its products.

The endorsement of this important Code of Self-Regulation was supported by the Latin American Brewers, an organization that has been performing a similar task in the continent.  With regard to this event, José Manuel Juanatey, General Secretary emphasized: "Being part of this act of maturity presumes the Industry's capability to impose self responsibilities, because is understands that its social contribution goes beyond the creation of wealth and the generation of employment, goes beyond the contribution with many just causes and also it is established in the areas of prevention and education."

There is no doubt that the presentation and adoption of the self-regulation code constitutes an indication of the strong commitment of the Brewing Industry of El Salvador with the society and is an example worth to be followed by other companies and organizations.