The Minority in Parliament is calling for an investigation into discrepancies in the Ministry of Education’s budget figures relating to the distribution of sanitary pads to schoolgirls.
Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said figures in the 2025 and 2026 Budgets raise serious concerns about the actual cost of the pads.
According to him, while the Ministry recently claimed on social media that each pad costs GH¢15, calculations from the 2025 Budget suggest the cost is closer to GH¢44 per pad.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament, Mr Assafuah described the inconsistencies as “unacceptable contradictions” and urged both parliamentary and media scrutiny.
He pointed out that the 2025 Budget allocated GH¢292 million for the distribution of 1,025 “parts” of sanitary pads — an allocation that translates to about GH¢225 per part. Meanwhile, the 2026 Budget reportedly distributed 6.6 million pads at a much lower cost, without clearly defining what the terms “part” or “pad” represent.
“The Ministry must come clean on its figures. Parliament and the public deserve clarity,” he stressed.
Mr Assafuah also warned that the lack of proper definitions in the budget documents could lead to widespread misinterpretation.
He called on relevant parliamentary committees to summon the officials responsible for the budget line and urged the media to help expose what he described as “a contradiction hidden in plain sight.”
The Minority insists it is safeguarding taxpayer funds, arguing that GH¢292 million cannot be glossed over without clear and precise explanations.
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