MDC-T legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga last week disclosed that the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) was still requesting duty for sanitary wear even though it was scrapped by Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube.
In an interview with Southern Eye, Misihairabwi-Mushonga said a ZIMRA official lamented the absence of enabling legislation. She said:
I pushed for the removal of duty on sanitary wear and it was removed, but now, some so many people are trying to bring in sanitary cups and sanitary towels, but Zimra is asking them to pay duty and I am getting frustrated.
I have even spoken to Zimra commissioner-general Faith Mazani and her response is that she has spoken with her staff, but they are saying that the challenges they were experiencing were that there is no enabling legislation that has been crafted for them to implement that waiver of duty.
That is nonsensical because sanitary wear comes in different forms like sanitary cups, sanitary panties, tampons, cotton wool and other forms, and sanitary wear will continue to change all the time.
So it is ridiculous for anybody to say that the only sanitary wear is sanitary pads. I don’t understand why anybody would try to frustrate donations of sanitary wear.