Rwanda Revenue Authority has warned all traders who charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on sanitary pads. Rwanda scrapped VAT on sanitary pads in 2019 to make them more affordable to women and curb period poverty. Jean Paulin Uwitonze, Deputy Commissioner for Taxpayer Services said there are reports of traders who still charge VAT on sanitary pads. “We urge everyone who buys them to always check their EBM receipts and see if they were charged the tax and then report the traders to RRA,” he said. “This is something we are always trying to communicate to traders and when we find the traders that are overcharging, we oblige them to immediately stop charging the tax,” He added. Juliette Karitanyi, an activist said that removing the tax was a step in the right direction, but added that the government should start holding accountable these traders who tax sanitary pads and also educate consumers about the tax exemption because it is their right, especially those in rural areas where some of them do not know about this. “The government can maybe put standard prices for these pads and advertise them, so everyone gets to know.” she added. A regular packet of pads goes for about Rwf1, 000 or Rwf500 without taxes. Gaudence Mukamurenzi, the commodity value chain trade specialist at the Ministry of Trade and Industry said that some traders still do it because they do not know but they keep reminding them, and visit traders door to door and inform them not to charge tax on sanitary pads. “Right now what we are doing is when we find a trader who still charges VAT on sanitary pads, they get a fine of not less than Rwf20, 000 and not more than Rwf500, 000.” She added. “We are now planning a communication campaign that will be broadcasted through different media platforms, so that every trader in the country knows that they cannot charge tax on sanitary pads, but also put fixed prices so that the buyers know when they are being overcharged, and be able to report it.” she said.
