Market sources reveal that the price of a pack of sanitary napkins has surged by 93% in the market by 2024 compared to 2021, despite the government allocating one billion rupees to provide free sanitary napkins to schoolgirls.
In response to this issue, Tatsarani Siriwardena, a research analyst at the Advocate Institute, points out that the price of a pack of sanitary napkins, previously around 120 rupees in 2021, has now surpassed 200 rupees. She further notes that there is approximately a 50% tax rate on a packet of sanitary napkins.
She also highlights a report issued by the Central Bank for the year 2022, revealing that the government annually collects thirty-six million rupees solely from taxes imposed on sanitary napkins.