Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa—the list goes on when it comes to countries that have gone a step further in exempting sanitary pads and other menstrual products from taxation. Consequently, welcome to Ghana!
One of the major barriers to managing menstrual hygiene in Ghana is the cost of menstrual products. While there have been calls for the removal of taxes on menstrual products, the Ghanaian government has not yet taken any action to do so. In this article, we will discuss the reasons why Ghana can’t remove taxes on menstrual products, despite calls to do so.
Removing taxes on menstrual products may lead to a loss of revenue for the government. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) collects taxes on all goods and services in the country, including menstrual products. If taxes are removed from menstrual products, the government may lose significant revenue, which can have an impact on the country’s economy.
There may also be challenges in monitoring and enforcing tax exemptions. If taxes are removed from menstrual products, the government may face challenges in monitoring and enforcing tax exemptions. This can create opportunities for unscrupulous traders to take advantage of the situation by misclassifying non-menstrual products as menstrual products to avoid paying taxes.
It will interest you to know that there may be other factors contributing to the high cost of menstrual products in Ghana. These factors include the cost of importing raw materials, production costs, and distribution costs. Hence, removing taxes on menstrual products may not address these underlying issues, which means that the cost of menstrual products may remain high even if taxes are removed.
In conclusion, while the removal of taxes on menstrual products may seem like a straightforward solution to addressing period poverty in Ghana, there are several challenges that make it difficult for the government to do so. Therefore, we urge corporate bodies, philanthropists, and other benevolent organisations to contribute their individual quotas towards assisting the adolescent girl. For the future belongs to us all; likewise, we equally have a role to play in making the “desired future” possible!