President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has on Monday ratified the fifth amendment to the Goods and Services Tax Act (10/2011) that repeals tax on feminine sanitary products.
The government gazette publicized the Act upon ratification on Monday.
With this ratification, the tax on feminine sanitary products such as pads and tampons has been repealed and these goods will now be under essential goods that are zero-rated.
The Parliament had on the 28th of November passed the bill to repeal tax on sanitary products with the vote of 73 MPs at the 15th sitting of the third session of Parliament. None of the members had voted against the bill.
The bill was submitted by Kurendhoo constituency MP Abdul Baaree Abdulla.
While there was a six percent GST on sanitary products before the ratification to repeal tax, slashing Goods and Service Tax (GST) on sanitary products was one of the pledges made by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during his presidential campaign, to be completed within the first week in office and it was also included in the ruling coalition’s manifesto, which vows to cut GST on such essential products.
Back in 2016, over 500 people signed an online petition asking the parliament and the government to repeal the tax. Those that led the campaign emphasized that 'menstruating is not a luxury for women'.
