Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Safety Mr. Nalin Fernando says that a discussion will be held with local manufacturers and importers this afternoon on the issue of rising prices of sanitary napkins.
Accordingly, the Minister expressed his confidence in Parliament today that he will be able to hold a discussion with the Ministry of Finance regarding the possibility of reducing the tax price of sanitary napkins and take a decision regarding the increase in their price this week.
“Is it possible to reduce the existing 45% tax on sanitary napkins in the face of tax hike? If not, find other ways to lower its price,” the minister said this while replying to a question asked by opposition MP Rohini Kaviratne in Parliament today.
The MP pointed out that the sanitary ware, which is currently classified as a luxury item, should be removed from the list as it is an essential item for women.
There are currently only two sanitary napkin manufacturers in Sri Lanka, but the rest are all imported sanitary napkins.
Due to the increase in taxes, the prices of imported sanitary napkins have gone up and the domestic manufacturers have also had to raise their prices.
A number of parties had informed the minister that this has become a serious problem for school children and women to maintain their health.