By Sanath Nanayakkare
A month had passed since the government announced a duty waiver on sanitary napkins, but it had still not been gazetted by the government, Advocata Institute said on Wednesday.
“The President’s Media Division (PMD) announced on 02 Oct., that taxes imposed on all imported raw material used in domestically produced sanitary napkins would be removed, but there is no gazette notification to date to put such a waiver into effect,” the Advocata Institute said.
“Furthermore, the PMD announced that it had been decided by the authorities to remove taxes on imported sanitary napkins as well, but there is no publication of that either in the official government gazette.
“Since May 2022, there has been continual rise in the prices of sanitary napkins in the market and the lowest price of a single sanitary pad is now Rs. 33. Besides, prices of all local and foreign brands of sanitary pads have increased by 70% between 2021 and 2022; just within a year,” they pointed out.According to Advocata, sanitary pads are beyond the reach of low-income earning women due to exorbitant prices and thus they have been deprived of a basic health right.
“In 2018, sanitary pads were subject to a tax of 101.2%. At present, before the VAT was removed, other taxes on sanitary pads amounted to 46.9%. Within this 46.9%, there is 15% VAT, 15% CESS and 10% PAL.
“Due to this high tax structure on sanitary pads, new manufacturers can’t enter the market. On top of taxes, currency depreciation and high inflation has made period poverty worse. All in all, women experience a great disadvantage of having fewer affordable options available to them in the market,” they said.
Advocata has emphasised that considering the wellbeing of women duties levied on sanitary pads must be made minimal and not only the VAT, the CESS and PAL should also be removed.