The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) says the Publican Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trade Solution has significantly improved customs revenue mobilisation since its full rollout at Ghana’s ports in March 2026, but has called for urgent improvements to the appeals process and valuation consistency.
At a press conference in Accra on August 27, the IEAG said about 366,000 import declarations had been analysed under the system, with approximately 24 per cent triggering valuation risk indicators requiring further review.
The Association also said, the system had increased assessed customs collections by more than US$300 million, representing a 17.5 per cent increase over values initially declared by importers, according to figures cited in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review
.
It noted customs collections in March alone increased by about US$73.44 million, representing a 25.7 per cent uplift.
The IEAG, which initially raised concerns about stakeholder engagement, transparency, data integrity, system integration and operational readiness, said it later backed the Publican AI initiative after engagements with the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
According to the IEAG, the AI-driven platform could also promote greater consistency by reducing situations where similar consignments received different duty assessments depending on the customs officer handling the transaction.
It further said the system’s risk-management capabilities could help Customs identify suspicious declarations and documentation inconsistencies while allowing officers to focus on high-risk consignments and facilitate legitimate trade.
Despite its positive assessment, the Association said some implementation challenges required attention.
It cited delays in the resolution of valuation disputes, fluctuations in duty assessments for similar consignments and the need for continuous stakeholder engagement and capacity building
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The IEAG called for a faster and more transparent appeals process, noting that delays in resolving disputes could result in demurrage costs and disruptions to businesses.
It also urged the government to continuously calibrate the valuation database to improve consistency and accuracy in duty assessments.
The Association recommended regular consultations involving the Ministry of Finance, GRA, Customs, freight forwarders, shipping stakeholders and the wider trading community.
The IEAG also cautioned importers against automatically attributing high customs charges to the Publican AI system.
It said it had received complaints that some freight forwarders or clearing agents could be exploiting misunderstandings about the system to quote inflated customs charges to importers.
The Association urged importers to independently verify duty assessments and demand supporting documentation before making payments.
Where an importer believes a consignment has been overvalued, the IEAG said the trader could request a review by submitting documents including the commercial invoice, sales contract or purchase order, proof of payment, bill of lading and other relevant import records.
The Association called on the government to continue investing in the Publican AI platform through software upgrades and data refinement
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It also recommended strengthening the Appeals Secretariat, expanding the use of international pricing databases, deepening stakeholder engagement and regularly publishing performance reports on the system.
The IEAG further urged government to continue using technology to reduce opportunities for corruption, revenue leakages and arbitrary customs valuation.
The Association said it remained committed to reforms aimed at creating a more transparent, predictable and efficient trading environment while protecting government revenue.
By Coffie Mawuedem Noel
