The Member of Parliament for Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region, Dzifa Abla Gomashie has urged President Akufo-Addo and the Finance Minister Ken-Ofori Atta to remove the various tax component on sanitary products in the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the country.
According to the opposition National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament, it is unjustifiable on the part of the government to continue to tax a natural order of women particularly vulnerable young girls and women.
She noted that the continuous taxing of sanitary products undermines the country’s effort to achieve the sustainable development goal of equity and inclusion.
“It doesn’t even make sense to me that you should tax anything with women that is a biological situation. I mean, the thought of it even makes me sick. Every month when I used to menstruate, I was terrified of seeing it, so you can imagine the trauma I went through during that period and I believe several young girls are going through similar situations. I don’t see why the taxes should be on anyone at all. It is not as if it is a choice that women breed; it is part of physiology as well as our making as women, and the reason why we have women and men in the world; if we don’t menstruate we won’t give birth, so why should that be taxed”.
Dzifa Abla Gomashie
The former Deputy Minister of Tourism under former President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic administration further indicated that she would be very disappointed if the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta failed to announce the removal of the taxes on sanitary products in the 2023 Budget.
However, the member of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee of Parliament emphasized that she would not stop advocating for the need for the government to remove the various tax components on sanitary products in the 2023 Budget if the Finance Minister failed to announce it.
MP Laments Over Impact Of High Cost Of Sanitary Products On Women And Girls
According to the Ketu South legislator, the high price of sanitary products in the country due to the imposition of several taxes on the product not only has a psychological effect on women but also affects their level of productivity in terms of work.
Furthermore, Honorable Abla Dzifa Gomashie lamented the effect of the high cost of sanitary products on girl-child education in the country.
“Every month there are girls in my community who will stay home for almost five days to seven days depending on how their period lasts. How is that useful and how does that bring equity to the girl-child and boys in our society? They have a lot of issues they are battling with, especially the lack of test books, lack of access to furniture in the classroom among others. Why should young girls have another problem worrying about dignity in their period? It is unnecessary and embarrassing on our country that we champion everything and yet still on our books we are taxing sanitary towels which have been given free in other countries”.
Dzifa Abla Gomashie
According to her the inability of government to remove the various tax component on sanitary products continue to widen the inequality gaps between women and men in the country.
In addition, Honorable Dzifa Gomashie urged government and the Finance Minister to cut down expenditure to reduce government spending in the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the country.
She thus urged government to merge ministries such as Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Transport in order to cut down cost in the year ahead.
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