Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Sindoor Or Sanitary Napkins: What’s More Important For A Woman? Twitter Questions GST Council

Under GST the sanitary pads will be taxed at 12%. Meanwhile, sindoor, bangles, and bindis are tax exempted. Is it a fair deal?

Published

on

New Delhi: A staggering 88% of girls and women in India don’t have access to sanitary napkins, lack of affordability is one of the major reasons that women in India do not use sanitary products. But instead of making sanitary wear affordable for the masses the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) has levied a whopping 12% tax on sanitary products, earlier they were taxed up to 14.5% depending on states. Meanwhile, sindoor, bangles, and bindis are tax exempted. Is it a fair deal? Ask people on Twitter.

Also Read: GST Impact On Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Abolition of Swachh Bharat Cess And High Tax Rates On Sanitation Products

Sanitary Napkins Is Not A Luxury, It Is A Necessity

1. Essential vs luxury debate rages on

2. Some got dramatic but a necessity is a necessity

3. Why are bindis and banfles exempt but not sanitary napkins?

4. As sarcastic as it gets – iA woman can live without bangles, sindoor and bindi – but, not without a sanitary napkin

5. A woman’s menstrual cycle is not a choice

6. ‘#LahuKaLagaan’ squad: Lahu ka lagaan is a campaign started by SheSays, a not-for-profit organisation to urge the Finance Minister to exempt the tax on sanitary napkins completely

Also Read: Ahead Of GST Launch, Konkona Sen Sharma Asks Why Tax Sanitary Napkins?

7. Spot on! Hygiene first

Also Read: GST Can Adversely Affect ‘Bio-Toilet’ Industry If Cost Goes Up, Say Industry Players

GST is being touted as the biggest tax reform since Independence in 1947 which aims to create a common market, preventing ‘tax-on-tax’ and making goods and services cheaper. The GST Council is chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state counterparts, has placed a multitude of goods and services under five categories of tax under GST – zero per cent, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. But should sanitary pads be taxed?

Also Read: Experts Speak: India Needs A Sanitary Revolution, Still, The Market Is Flooded With Non-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkins

Share your views in the comments section below.

4 Comments

  1. Paromita Roy

    June 30, 2017 at 5:08 pm

    If buying a shaving cream or a razor which all post puberty men need,is not a luxury, then why a sanitary napkin which all post puberty women need is considered a luxury

    Is GST stating it is a man’s world(India)

  2. jessy

    July 2, 2017 at 11:34 am

    sanitary napkins are a necessity essential and not a luxury product. If condoms, shaving cream, razors are exempt, why pads? If Govnt. can be generous in doling out 100 000 US dollars to the US trust fund and give lip service of “Beti Bachao Beti Padao, why not let women live with dignity without being taxed for being women.

  3. mdharmnath

    July 2, 2017 at 6:03 pm

    The sanitery napkins makers are down grading to the level of comparing a sanitery the item to the items of a faith value e.g comparing a symbolic dressitem to a cleanesing item just to save taxes .Also it is not necessary that those sanitery napkins will increse the immunity or energy of an women during menstrual period a natural process

  4. mdharmnath

    July 2, 2017 at 6:20 pm

    what a shameless comparing,The bindi is put on head and never thrown,while sanitary napkins are used and thrown immediately after use.Any one who started this discussion is to attack a way of living and culture just for bringing down GST on napkins is unforgettable .There may have been another way to project sale of sanitary napkins to masses and since it is a hygienic product it needs to be clubbed there and not like other essentials with no tax at all

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Exit mobile version