Vincent Ekow Assafuah is the NPP Member of Parliament for Old Tafo
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has accused the government of profligate spending under the Free Sanitary Pad policy for schoolgirls in basic and senior high schools.
Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra on Tuesday, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the NPP Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, cited figures from the 2025 and 2026 budget statements to back the Caucus’ concerns.
He explained that in the 2025 budget, the government announced plans to purchase 3.1 million packs of sanitary pads at a cost of GH¢292 million.
However, in the 2026 budget estimates, the government reported that the same amount of GH¢292 million was spent to procure 6.6 million packs.
Mr Assafuah said a simple calculation based on the total number of pads purchased implied that the government procured each pack at about GH¢45, far above the prevailing market price, ranging between GH¢15 and GH¢25.
The Old Tafo legislator thus described the procurement as “Choobo,” meaning wasteful, and urged the media to interrogate the expenditure on the free sanitary pads policy.
He stressed that while the Minority Caucus supported initiatives that promote menstrual hygiene and access to education for girls, the government must ensure transparency and value for money in its procurement processes.
The Free Sanitary Pad policy in Ghana was launched in April 2025 to provide free sanitary pads to schoolgirls from Primary Five through Senior High School nationwide, aimed at improving menstrual hygiene, reducing absenteeism, and promoting gender equality.
