Bill to Remove Tax on Sanitary Pads Has Been Introduced

A private member’s bill has been introduced in the Ghanaian Parliament, seeking to eliminate the 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) on menstrual hygiene products like sanitary pads and tampons. Presented by National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament Francis-Xavier Sosu, the bill also aims to reclassify the 20% import tax on these products as zero-rated essential social goods and prevent future taxation on them. Sosu justifies this move by highlighting the global challenges women and girls face in managing menstruation and the adverse consequences of neglecting their menstrual hygiene needs, affecting various Sustainable Development Goals.

Sosu argues that taxing sanitary pads, essential for addressing a natural biological process, is unfair and discriminatory. He asserts that such taxation violates both national and international laws and treaties. Several countries worldwide, including Scotland, Kenya, Canada, Australia, and others, have already taken steps to remove taxes on menstrual products. The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has expressed strong opposition to these taxes, calling them “unconscionable and a cardinal sin.”

The bill introduced in the Ghanaian Parliament aims to abolish VAT on menstrual hygiene products, citing discrimination and human rights violations. It draws inspiration from countries that have successfully removed such taxes and has received support from civil society groups advocating for this change.