Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sarah Adwoa Safo, is taking the necessary steps to remove a tax placed on imported sanitary items for the Commemoration of the 2021 Menstrual Hygiene Management Day.
Prior to the 2020 Elections, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia promised the Government will scrap the 20 percent levy placed on imported sanitary pads, which has been categorised as luxury products per the Ghana Revenue Authority guidelines.
He made the promise at the launch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Manifesto at Cape Coast.
Hon Adwoa Safo, in a solidarity Message on the commemoration of the 2021 Menstrual Hygiene Management, stated her intent to accelerate the process of eliminating the tax on sanitary pads which has been of huge concern to girls, women and Civil Society Organizations
“The needs of young girls is of utmost concern to me as a Minister and reducing the stigma around menstrual hygiene management is one that I take very seriously.” “That is why upon my assumption to office I wrote to the Ministry of Finance as a direct follow up on the removal of the luxury tax on the import of sanitary items,” she stated.
She also expressed the need to promote Menstrual Hygiene management to positively contribute to improved school performance of girls.
“Given the challenges that women and girls face, it is important to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management towards safeguarding the dignity and integrity of women and girls to positively contribute to improved school performance.”
“It is my hope that through programmes like this, we can break the silence, raise awareness and change the negative social norms surrounding Menstrual Hygiene in Ghana so that every woman and girl is empowered to manage her menstruation safely and hygienically,” she added.
The scrapping of the levy is expected to reduce the cost of imported sanitary pads making it affordable for Ghanaian women.
Source: MyPublisher24.com