Speaker Calls Tax Imposition On Sanitary Pad “Cardinal Sin”

The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has condemned the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads as a “cardinal sin”.

This is in the wake of protests and a petition to Parliament by a group of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in the country seeking the removal of VAT and other taxes on the importation of sanitary pads.

The group on Thursday stormed Parliament protesting in red shirts and displaying placards terming the tax as “period tax”.

One placard said, “Sex is a choice but periods are not. Stop taxing my period.” Others read, “We are already bleeding, don’t tax our period” and “Women pay taxes in many ways. Period tax is unfair and discriminatory.”

After attending to the picketing protestors, Hon Bagbin chastised the House for approving the tax. He recognized that the implication will be borne by the country.

“Why should we, as a House, impose a law passing a tax on sanitary pads? This is unconscionable. It’s a cardinal sin. The House shouldn’t have allowed it at all. This House shouldn’t have allowed it. You know the impact of that law on the human resource development and the development of the country? It is immeasurable.”

He noted that an action will be taken on the petition immediately.

“I have a copy of the petition. I’m going to take immediate action to prevent whoever is the Minister proposing that thing to take it off. It must not appear in the next budget.”

According to the National Coordinator, Platform on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ms Levlyn Asiedu Konadu, the Government of Ghana, under the Harmonised System Code 9619001000, classifies sanitary pads as Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles which attract a myriad of taxes including a 20 per cent import duty, a 15 per cent Import VAT and other import levies.

These, the CSOs observe, are contributing to period poverty in the country.

Their demand is thus, to make sanitary pads affordable and accessible to all.