France to lower sales tax on condoms to fight HIV/AIDS
The French health minister, Marisol Touraine, said the sales tax on condoms will be lowered in France in a bid to encourage people to practise safe sex.
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While the TVA is set to rise on 1st January, the rate for condoms will be lowered from seven to 5.5%.
Touraine told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper she “hopes that manufacturers will play their part by passing on the reduction; savings will be 10 or 20 euro cents per box [of condoms].”
“This should encourage young people to better protect themselves and encourage contraception,” she added.
In November, France became the first European country to allow the commercialisation and sale of home-testing kits for HIV/AIDS in 2014.
The tests, using a blood or saliva sample, could return a result within 30 minutes.
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