WPAN Policy Brief : Closing The Divide through Women's Access to Finance

Financial inclusion is the access individuals and businesses have to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs, such as for transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance. They also must be delivered in a responsible and sustainable way promoting engagement in the formal financial sector.  Access to affordable finance aims to enhance living standards, increase income, stimulate business investment, reduce unemployment, and foster economic growth by expanding financial networks and reducing barriers to entry. 

Here is the link to the WPAN Policy Brief on Closing the Divide through Women’s Access to Finance

Advocata Policy Brief : Tax Free Periods: Call for the Removal of Taxes on Menstrual Products

The affordability of sanitary napkins and its significant impact on the welfare of girls and women in Sri Lanka has become more pronounced in recent years. This is particularly evident due to the decline in purchasing power stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. Approximately 4 million Sri Lankans have descended into poverty since 2019, making the total number of Sri Lankans living in poverty approximately 7 million. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the ramifications of the lack of affordability of sanitary napkins which is worsened by the imposition of high taxes on sanitary napkins.

Here is the link to Advocata’s Policy Brief on Tax Free Periods: Call for the Removal of Taxes on Menstrual Products

Advocata Policy Brief : Minimum Room Rates

The proposed minimum room rates seek to place a rate of USD 100 on 5 star hotels, USD 75 for 4 star hotels, USD 50 for 3 star hotels, USD 35 for 2 star hotels, and USD 20 for 1 star hotels within the city of Colombo, effective from October 1, 2023. This will, in effect, act as a price control, ensuring that hotels within these star classifications located within the city of Colombo cannot price their rooms at rates lower than those prescribed by the government. The below policy brief will explore the dynamics of the hotel industry and provide a critical analysis of the potential consequences and challenges of implementing this scheme. By critically evaluating these effects, we aim to provide policymakers and stakeholders with a holistic perspective to inform their decisions.

Here is a link to Advocata’s Policy Brief on Sri Lanka’s Minimum Room Rates

The Cato Podcast mentions Advocata in their podcast on 'The Outside Dilemma' with Matt Warner

The Cato Podcast hosted by Caleb Brown mentioned Advocata in a their recent podcast on Development Economics and ‘The Outsider’s Dilemma’ with Matt Warner, President of the Atlas Network.

Media mention on Reuters of Advocata on taxes on sanitary napkins

Thomson-Reuters Foundation mentioned Advocata in a recent article on period poverty and sanitary napkin affordability, published on April 04, 2019.

An excerpt from the article:

“Should a country tax women on something they have no control over? As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, in Sri Lanka women’s health as well as education is in jeopardy due to high taxes on women’s sanitary products, say activists.

“Period poverty has hit global headlines in recent years, with statistics showing that even in a wealthy Western country like Britain, one in 10 girls have been unable to afford sanitary products. …In Sri Lanka, the problem is particularly acute because sanitary products are so heavily taxed - until last September, the levy on imported pads was more than 100 percent. It has since been reduced to about 63 percent and Sri Lanka’s finance minister, Mangala Samaraweera, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation he was looking into how taxes on sanitary products could be reduced further.

But Anuki Premachandra, head of research communication at The Advocata Institute, an independent policy think tank, said the issue still wasn’t being given the importance it deserved. “People are enraged about the cost of carrots, but when it comes to taxes on sanitary napkins, they dismiss it as a women’s issue,” she said.”

Media mention of Advocata on taxes on sanitary napkins for IWD 2019

Sunday Observer mentioned Advocata in a recent article on sanitary napkin taxation for International Women’s Day, 2019.

An excerpt from the article:

“Should a country tax women on something they have no control over? As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, in Sri Lanka women’s health as well as education is in jeopardy due to high taxes on women’s sanitary products, say activists.

“In a country with 4.2 million menstruating women and a population that is 52 per cent women, you’ would think wewould know better than to tax a woman on something that is beyond her control; but we do not’’ said Anuki Premachandra of the Advocata Institute. Anuki who serves as the Manager-Research Communication at Advocata had been canvassing on the sanitary pad problem during the past couple of months.

“Import taxes on sanitary napkins in Sri Lanka are as high as 62 per cent and what our policy makers fail to realise is that this is a tax on a woman’s biological process that she has no control over. Are we still a society that fails to provide a woman access to a basic necessity? Is it not time we said times up Sri Lanka?” said Anuki.”

Media mention of Advocata regarding taxes on sanitary napkins

The Morning mentioned Advocata in a recent article on sanitary napkin taxation.

An excerpt from the article:

“The Advocata Institute, which originally published the article, is an independent policy think tank based in Colombo. We spoke with the institute’s Manager Research Communications Anuki Premachandra with regards to the data revealed by them.

A comprehensive understanding of the nature of our current situation can be obtained if you look at the following price comparisons: The average price of a packet of 10 pads in Sri Lanka is Rs. 130. Imported pads are priced between Rs. 200-260, and locally-produced pads are also around Rs. 100-130. A cost of a single pad in Sri Lanka is 24% more than in US and 26% more than the retail price of a sanitary napkin in India.

Protectionist taxes ensure security for local producers while also allowing a greater selection of options for the consumer; this has inadvertently resulted in local producers enjoying the comfort of a large profit margin per packet as prices in the market are high in itself, owing to taxes.”