News
Abolish import tax on sanitary pads–Government urged
A Consortium of Non Profit Organisations in the Upper West Region has renewed calls on the government to abolish tax on the importation of sanitary pads into the country.
The consortium made up of Ideapath Consult, Wype the Tears of African Girl Child, Get Back to School Foundation, Toilet Engineers and Sanitation Services Limited, noted that prices of sanitary pads in the country continued to increase to the detriment of the vulnerable girls in society due to heavy taxes imposed on its importation into the country.
In a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the lead organisation, Ideapath Consult, Mr Lukeman Tahiru and released to the Ghanaian Times, the consortium appealed to the government to prescribe tax holidays for importers of sanitary pad.
It also encouraged government to invest in the manufacturing of sanitary pads locally as well as promote local entrepreneurs who would venture into such production in order to reduce cost.
The statement noted with concern, the spate at which some young girls had fallen victim to unscrupulous men in their bid to secure money to purchase basic items such as sanitary pads.
“Menstruation is not an option. It is a normal biological process for women yet low-income families are heavily hit as parents and guardians are unable to afford sanitary pads for their wards” it stated, adding that the situation was more pronounced in the Upper West Region where poverty was widespread.
The consortium opined that if taxes on sanitary pads were slashed it would make the product affordable for females and would go a long way to reduce social vices such as child prostitution with its resultant problem of teenage pregnancy and school dropout cases
“Many girls in this region, particularly in the rural areas, according to our preliminary survey stay out of school when they are menstruating and that is because they do not have sanitary pads to keep them safe and confident,” it noted.
The statement further lamented that the problem was compounded by the colour of the school uniforms being used by a particular school, indicating that girls with bright coloured uniforms would opt out of school for a whole week during their menstrual period for fear of soiling themselves in public.
“The impact of this on the girl child is enormous as it affects her academic performance and kills her confidence as well,” the statement expressed and added a plea to government to abolish the taxes as soon as possible.
Source: Ghanaian Times
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
