According to RÚV, the majority of the Economic and Business Committee of Parliament does not believe that it is the right time to abolish VAT on menstrual products, or the “pink tax” as it is often referred to.
This comes following Scotland’s decision to make period products free: the bill was voted for unanimously by MPs on Tuesday, when Scotland became the first country in the world to end “period poverty”.
The Economic and Business Committee of Parliament received a statement calling on the government to abolish the VAT and to ensure that menstrual products are available to kids who menstruate in primary and secondary education. The statement emphasised that these youths need to buy menstrual products for years before they are able to earn any income.
Parliament pointed out that Act no. 67/2019, which was approved by Parliament on 11 June 2019, already moved menstrual products and contraception to a lower level of VAT. The majority opinion stated: “It was discussed whether there was a reason to abolish VAT on the products covered by the bill altogether. As it has not been customary to exempt consumer goods from VAT altogether, the Committee believes that such a change required a more detailed examination.”
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