It’s an embarrassment Ofori-Atta refused to remove taxes on sanitary pads – Ablakwa

North Tongu Constituency MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed his disappointment in the government’s failure to remove taxes on sanitary pads.

According to him, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s refusal to remove the taxes on sanitary pads during his presentation of the Mid-Year Budget review in Parliament shows that the government does not care about the human rights of Ghanaians.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday during the last debate on the Mid-Year budget, he explained that Ghanaian women had expressed their grievances with the taxes imposed on sanitary pads and were expecting the government to address the issue in the budget.

“Mr. Speaker, I recall that you also spoke emphatically, which was well received by the Ghanaian people, that the Mid-Year review should abolish taxes on sanitary pads.

“It is an embarrassment that such a gross human rights issue did not receive attention from the Finance Minister,” Mr Ablakwa said.

But the New Patriotic Party MP for Sefwi Akontombra Constituency in the Western Region, Alex Tetteh Djournobuah explained that abolishing taxes on sanitary pads will collapse the local industries.

He further noted that the North Tongu MP was misrepresenting the fact and actual details of the taxes the government has imposed on sanitary pads.

“I want you to recall that there is a report from AGI that government should allow the local companies to produce the sanitary pads in this country.

“Mr. Speaker, if you compare the price from the foreign sanitary pad as I speak, it’s GH₵15 per one. The local companies are preparing or producing this particular sanitary pad at a cost of GH₵11.

To this end, the Deputy Regional Minister for Western North questioned Mr Ablakwa whether the government should allow the local industries to collapse in the country.

Background

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin had called on the government to abolish taxes on sanitary pads.

Mr Bagbin said that the menstrual cycle comes with its own complications, therefore imposing taxes on sanitary pads is unacceptable.

However, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) says any policy measure by the government that seeks to remove taxes on imported sanitary pads at the expense of local manufacturers of the same will be very detrimental to the economy. 

It said as much as the waiver of duties or taxes on imported sanitary pads for young women to make the pads more affordable may sound good, it would only end up completely wiping out the few local sanitary pad factories left in the country.