News
Make sanitary products affordable for all – CSO platform on SDGs urges government
The Ghana CSOs Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has appealed to the government to help make sanitary products affordable to all women and girls.
Sanitary products currently attract 32.5 per cent tax on imported sanitary pads, which is made up of 20 per cent import duty and 12.5 per cent Value Added Tax.
A statement signed by Ms. Levlyn Konadu Levlyn, National Coordinator of the Platform urged the Ministry of Finance and the government to “as a matter of urgency scrap the import tax on sanitary pads and reclassify the product as ‘essential social goods’ which is Zero rated.”
The Platform again urged African countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa to remove taxes on the same products.
The statement was issued in commemoration of this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day themed: “Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030.”
“Women’s and adolescent girls’ ability to care for their bodies while menstruating is, an essential part of this fundamental human right. Poor menstrual health and hygiene therefore, represent an affront to this right, including the right to work and go to school,” the Platform noted.
It maintained that insufficient resources to manage menstruation, such as sanitary pads and clean water, worsened the already existing social and economic inequalities and undermines the dignity and confidence of girls and women”.
The Platform, therefore, called for comprehensive effort aimed at making sanitary products affordable and intensifying public education on menstruation.
While calling for policies that eliminate “period poverty,” the organisation again urged the media to continue encouraging open dialogue on menstruation and help break the stigma.
The Ghana CSOs Platform on the SDGs aims is to contribute to “building a fairer, healthier, gender-responsive Ghana that acknowledges and works towards achieving the vision for sanitation and hygiene under Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
By Spectator Reporter
News
Heritage Month Ghana trends
Since the institution of the Heritage Month celebration in Ghana, it has offered citizens opportunities of a lifetime to learn about their cultures and lifestyles.
Ghana’s version is observed in the month of March, coinciding with the country’s Independence Day celebrations on March 6.
Show host, George Sappor in full
regalia as a traditional leader
outfit to mark Independence Day and
Heritage Month. She usually does it with
husband and best friend, Kofi Aduonum
but in his absence, she maintained the
poise to attract the atte
Heritage Month features festivals, food fairs, arts, crafts, and music events to highlight the economic and social value of preserving national heritage.
Though a brainchild of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the celebration has been driven to greater heights by local media with the organisation of several events to create the needed euphoria.
at Original TV gave
culture a touch of ‘old
school’ in her presentation
last Tuesday to wow
her audience as part of
the station’s Heritage
Month celebration
Among the events are the Heritage Caravan and Back To Your Village Food Bazaar powered by Accra-based Citi FM and Citi TV, Wear Ghana Festival and the Gɔbɛ festival powered by 3News.
The Heritage Caravan is a road trip which takes patrons across more than half of Ghana’s regions to offer a distinctive road trip that allows participants to explore the various regions of Ghana, providing an up-close encounter with the country’s historical and cultural heritage.
In addition to these roles played by the media, news anchors and other presenters appear on screens immaculately garbed in locally made outfits, bringing out the beauty of our traditions.
Today, The Spectator newspaper selected a few of the media personalities that are working to give the celebration a global dimension to project the country.
By Andrew Nortey
News
MoMo vendor 24 murdered at Kwadaso
A disturbing crime has shaken the Kwadaso Onion market community in Kumasi, leaving family and friends grieving the loss of a young life.
Identified only as Junior, a 24-year-old mobile money vendor, was found murdered in his room on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
According to eyewitnesses, Junior had returned home the previous day with a substantial amount of money, over Gh¢20,000.
It was suspected that the killers might have been motivated by the large sum of money in Junior’s possession.
A police source that confirmed this to The Spectator, said investigation has been launched into Junior’s murder, but so far, no arrests have been made.
The Kwadaso community is reeling in shock, calling for justice and an end to the atrocity that has claimed the life of a young and promising individual.
Junior, is believed to be a native of Ejisu Onwe, and was known to his colleagues and friends as a hardworking and diligent individual who worked at the Kumasi Race Course.
His tragic death serves as a stark reminder of the risks and challenges mobile money vendors faced.
The incident comes barely a month after Patricia Nimako, a 27-year-old Mobile Money (MoMo) vendor, was shot and killed at Krofrom, Kumasi in the Ashanti region by an unknown assailants.
The suspected armed robbers fled with the deceased cell phones and an amount of GH¢10,000 on Thursday, February 13, at approximately 3:00 p.m.
The two armed robbers reportedly stormed the kiosk where the deceased was operating and without any provocation shot her dead.
There has not been any arrest yet by the police.
From Kingsley E. Hope , Kumasi
