LISTEN: ‘Zero-rating sanitary products would be a great move’
Activists have welcomed the recommendation by an independent panel that sanitary pads be added to the list of items that must be exempt from value-added tax.
The panel also recommended that white bread, bread and cake flour, school uniforms and nappies be zero-rated.
Treasury released the panel’s report on Friday after Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene instituted a review process following the decision to increase VAT from 14% to 15%.
Pontsho Pilane, a journalist at Bhekisasa Centre for Journalism and an activist for free sanitary pads, submitted a proposal to Parliament in 2015, urging the government to provide free pads to the poor.
Pilane says the recommendation should be implemented.
“Making sanitary pads free and zero-rating them is a great move because they will be free for those who can’t afford them and middle-income families and individuals will experience some relief.”
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Pilane says the government needs to think about creating an income bracket for those who qualify for free sanitary pads and one for those who are in the middle and can afford the zero-rated sanitary towels.
“There hasn't been a study that shows how many days if they on their period and they don't have pads. However, anecdotally we are seeing that a lot of students would miss school for the first two days of their period because it’s heavy. So its also attached to the right to education, the right to health, and the right to human dignity which is entrenched in our constitution.”