Alban Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has vehemently opposed the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads, referring to it as a cardinal sin committed by Parliament.
This was in response to a petition calling for a reduction or elimination of taxes on sanitary pads. The Speaker announced during parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, June 22, that he is taking the matter seriously.
Bagbin questioned the rationale behind passing a law that imposes taxes on sanitary pads and stated that it should not have been allowed by the House.
He emphasised the detrimental impact of such a law on human resource development and the overall development of the country. As a result, he suspended the sitting to attend to the petition and expressed the need for immediate action to remove the taxes proposed by the minister responsible.
“Why should we pass a law imposing taxes on sanitary pads? This is unconscionable; it is a cardinal sin, and the house shouldn’t have allowed it at all.
“You know the impact of that law on the human resource development and development of this country? It is immeasurable; that is why I suspended sitting and I attended to them. I have a copy of the petition, and we have to take immediate action to prevent whichever minister is proposing that thing to take it off. The next budget, it must not appear; it cannot be a tax. I take a very serious view on this matter,” he added.
Meanwhile, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) stormed Ghana's Parliament on the same day, demanding the removal of taxes on sanitary pads.
This development follows concerns raised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) regarding the potential negative impact on the local manufacturing industry if taxes on imported sanitary pads are waived.
The AGI cautioned that while the objective of making pads more affordable for young women may appear favourable, it could lead to the complete extinction of local sanitary pad factories in the country.
YNA/WA
