The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has given a positive assessment of the Publican Artificial Intelligence Trade Solution after five months of implementation at Ghana’s ports, saying it has significantly boosted customs revenue and improved transparency.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, the General Secretary of IEAG, Mr. Samson Asaki Awingobit, said the Association supports the reform because it promotes fairness, reduces human discretion and protects national revenue.
The Publican AI Trade Solution became fully operational at Ghana’s ports on 12th March, 2026.
"From the onset, IEAG wishes to state unequivocally that we remain committed to every policy and reform that seeks to improve Ghana’s trade environment, strengthen customs administration, promote transparency and protect national revenue," Mr. Awingobit stated.
He explained that IEAG initially raised concerns over stakeholder engagement, transparency and operational readiness, but after engagements with the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Association declared support for the system.
According to Mr. Awingobit, data from the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review shows remarkable outcomes from the system.
Between the pilot phase and July 17, 2026, approximately 366,000 import declarations were analyzed, with about 24% triggering valuation risk indicators. The system increased assessed customs collections by more than US$300 million, representing a 17.5% increase over values originally declared by importers.
In March 2026 alone, assessed collections increased by approximately US$73.44 million, representing a 25.7% uplift, translating to between GH¢1.3 billion and GH¢1.5 billion per month in additional revenue.
"These figures clearly demonstrate that technology can significantly improve domestic revenue mobilization without introducing new taxes," he said, commending Government, the Ministry of Finance and GRA.
Despite the gains, IEAG outlined challenges that require urgent attention, including delays in the appeals process, unexpected fluctuations in duty assessments for similar consignments, the need for continuous stakeholder engagement and capacity building for Customs officers and clearing agents.
Mr. Awingobit noted that the system now allows importers who feel overvalued to seek review by submitting commercial invoices, sales contracts, proof of payment and bills of lading, which he described as a significant improvement.
He cautioned importers to independently verify duty assessments from freight forwarders, alleging some unscrupulous agents exploit misunderstanding of the AI system to quote exaggerated charges.
Port Congestion and Other Issues
The Association also called on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to address persistent container congestion at Tema Port by considering not renewing some private leases and using the spaces for ultra-modern container terminals.
IEAG further expressed concern over disregard by some shipping lines of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority’s regulated Container Administrative Charge of GH¢720 per TEU, and appealed to the Minister for Transport to convene an urgent stakeholder meeting.
On port security, the Association called on the Inspector-General of Police to strengthen patrols and surveillance following recent robbery attacks on transporters within the port enclave, to sustain the 24-hour economy.
It also urged GRA to improve resilience of its digital payment platforms, particularly http://Ghana.gov, which it said was down for about a week recently, causing losses to businesses.
IEAG declared support for the Ghana Standards Authority’s Pre-Shipment Inspection and Vehicle Age Verification (PVoC) programme for used vehicles effective October 1, 2026.
The Association commended the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the Bank of Ghana for stabilizing the foreign exchange market and reducing lending rates, noting average lending rates declined from 30.3% in December 2024 to 20.5% in December 2025.
It also commended Ghana Link for improved services on its ICUMS platform, noting little to no major complaints this year.
Mr. Awingobit concluded that while IEAG supports Publican AI, its success must be complemented by efficient port infrastructure, reliable digital systems, enhanced security and effective stakeholder engagement.
