Amid fears of a new wave of inflation in Pakistan following the 6 6 billion aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), concerns are being raised that contracts with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will also weigh heavily on contraceptives. Taxes may be levied which will directly affect measures to control the growing population.
According to the report of Dawn newspaper, on social media, while appealing to the federal government and IMF officials not to impose tax on the said product, singer and social leader Shehzad Rai highlighted this issue.
He tweeted that “17% of Pakistani couples want to use contraceptives but cannot access them”.
“In this situation, the tax will directly affect the population growth. I urge the IMF, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen to send a message while abolishing taxes that the population is growing rapidly,” he said. Increase is a big issue.
17% couples in Pak want to use contraceptives but cant access it. In this situation,tax on contraceptives wil directly effect population Growth. I request @IMFNews @ImranKhanPTI @shaukat_tarin to waive off tax & give strong message that, exponentially growing pop is a huge issue
— Shehzad Roy (@ShehzadRoy) February 18, 2022
Speaking to Dawn, UN Population and Planning Goodwill Ambassador Shehzad Roy referred to the UN’s Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, which found that 34% of couples in the country were using contraceptives.
However, he said that “17% of couples are those who want to use these products but do not have access to them for various reasons”.
He said the new tax scope would further reduce the system, which could have implications that the country could not afford.
“It is a misconception that the duty is only on imported contraceptives and it is used only by the rich,” said Shehzad Roy.
“Imported contraceptive products include implants and IUDs (intrauterine devices). Implants have to be replaced every 5 years, while IUDs have to be replaced every 12 years,” he said. Are contraceptives and are used for sterilization.
“This is a great facility because it does not require frequent healthcare providers,” he added.
The social leader said that in contrast, locally made methods are pills and injections, with one pill every day and one injection every three months, which means frequent visits to the doctor. ۔
Shehzad Rai said that he also raised this issue with Shaukat Tareen and he has expressed positive reaction on the issue.
He said that if Shaukat Tareen felt the need, he was determined to take up the matter with other authorities.