By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera   

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to reduce tax on sanitary pads and the gazette notification in that regard would be published soon, State Minister of Women and Child Affairs Geetha Kumarasinghe said yesterday.  

She told Parliament that it was reported that women and school girls were inconvenienced due to the exorbitant prices of sanitary pads.  

The Minister said she made a request to the President in writing to reduce taxes and that the President had agreed to reduce the cess, Port and Development Levy (PAL) and customs duty on sanitary pads.  

She also said a local manufacturer had agreed to provide sanitary pads at Rs.150 for school children.