Menstrual Health and Hygiene Tax Reforms Advocacy Consultant, Islamabad, 60 days

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, good health!

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

To learn more about UNICEF’s work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

How can you make a difference?

Under direct supervision of Director Program Health & Nutrition and UNICEF’s Nutrition Specialist, in close coordination with other Ministry of national Health Services Regulation and Coordination (MoNHSR&C) and UNICEF relevant staff, support as Consultant for Maternal, Adolescent, infant and Young Child Nutrition (MAIYCN) in the developmental aspect and in humanitarian scenario. The consultant will also provide support to the ECD and other nutrition related programs in the country.

Task 1 & Deliverables: Analysis of the current tax regime on menstrual health and hygiene products.

• Detailed and precise analysis of the government's current tax regime on sanitary products and raw materials, both locally made and imported looking at the existing tax system, regulatory framework, business processes, and standard operating procedures. The task involves analyzing and understanding the private sector and government perspectives on what needs to happen to make MHH products more affordable.
• Using input from Santex and similar industry players, determine the total tax incidence (TTI) of a sanitary pad/napkin in Pakistan as per the present proposed tariff structure by the Federal Tax Board based on Assessable Value (AV) of goods, supplementary duty (e.g. excise duty and customs duty etc.), value added tax (VAT) / general sales tax (GST), advance income tax, regulatory duty and advance trend VAT (ATV)

Task 2 & Deliverables: Learning from other countries and identify best success strategies applicable in Pakistan

• Analysis and review of tax reforms/regimes in other countries and identify the strategies used by UN, CSOs, and Human rights groups to convince the government – what advocacy steps/approaches were used – what economic arguments were used? - and recommend feasible options for Pakistan.
• Global period tax landscape analysis report presenting a matrix that shows best practice examples from global experiences and contrasts that with current practices in Pakistan through comparative assessment of the Pakistan period tax administration.

Task 3 & Deliverables: Build an economic case to present to relevant government departments for consideration

• Carry out a robust economic analysis on the impact of tax reforms on both the government and women based on solid economic evidence and a strong gender justice rationale
• Write a policy brief highlighting the impact of the current tax regime on sanitary products on girls and women and propose the best tax reforms to the government for consideration: e.g., Reduced vs zero, Subsidizing the poor from the rich, Free access to schools subsidized by the rich etc.

Task 4 & Deliverables: Identify relevant stakeholders from both government, international financial institutions, UN and CSO and organize consultation meetings.

• Develop draft period tax reform position paper
• Engage all relevant stakeholders including parliamentary committees, federal tax board, ministry of finance to get buy in and support for adoption of proposed tax reforms
• Consultation workshops report
• Position paper ready for presentation in parliament

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• *A Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economic, Finance, public administration, or related field
• A senior consultant with a minimum 10 years' experience of working with government departments responsible for industry, trade and commerce implementing/supporting tax related interventions. The individual should have experience of working/supporting humanitarian work focusing on women and adolescent girls’ health issues. The consultant should have at least a master’s in economics or related field.

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Candidates are requested to submit their daily/lumpsum fee with the application for the consultancy.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.