The identity of the Minority Member Parliament whose absence on Wednesday, 21 December 2022 led to the 136-135 vote has been revealed.

The government which is hell-bent on approval of the 2.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) increase faced a pushback from the Haruna Iddrissu-led Minority.

Despite the minority caucus’ opposition, the majority caucus had its way with a headcount victory of 136 as against 135 after Member of Parliament for Okaikwei North Constituency in the Greater Accra region of Ghana, Theresa Lardi Awuni.

The MP was said to have been out of Accra for a personal emergency without informing Chief Whip Hon. Muntaka Mubarak leading to the 136-135 vote defeat of the Minority who have vowed to resist the government’s “profligacy amidst new taxes”.

Analysts and commentators say the blame for the taxes should be laid on President Akufo-Addo and the NPP instead of the MP whose absence made the VAT increase successful.

Despite the Vote defeat, the Minority in Parliament however compelled the government to withdraw and reallocate the GHS80 million allocated in the 2023 budget for the construction of the National Cathedral to the roads and communications sectors.

Further, the said amount was completely removed from the final appropriation bill.

The NDC MPs also expunged the Special Development Initiatives Secretariate and Monitoring & Evaluation Secretariate under the Office of the President from the 2023 appropriation.

The NEC MPs said the office is duplicating the roles of other properly constituted state agencies and hence will not be funded in 2023.