A Member of Parliament on the Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee, Attah Issah, has defended the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven customs valuation system by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), insisting the policy is aimed at curbing massive revenue leakages at the country’s ports.
His defence came amid growing concerns from importers and other stakeholders over sharp increases in import duties following the rollout of the new system, with others declaring their intentions to embark on a strike if not addressed.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, April 13, Mr Issah said the policy is not designed to burden traders but to correct long-standing irregularities in the declaration of goods.
“The system was introduced to stop revenue leakages. We cannot continue to ignore the discrepancies that have existed within our import valuation regime,” he stated.
He dismissed claims that the AI system is manipulating data, stressing that no stakeholder has presented evidence to support such allegations.
“I haven’t heard any stakeholder point to manipulation of data. What we are hearing is that the values have gone up—and that is expected where there has been under-declaration,” he explained.
Citing findings from a special audit conducted by the GRA between 2020 and 2025, Mr Issah revealed a significant gap between Ghana’s actual import value and what was declared at the ports.
He said, “Ghana’s total import value within the period was about 127 billion dollars, yet only 52 billion dollars was declared. That is a major red flag we cannot gloss over.”
He explained that the AI system is designed to automatically detect undervaluation, misclassification, and false declarations without human interference, thereby improving transparency and accountability.
Under the new framework, customs officers are required to adhere strictly to AI-generated benchmark values and are not permitted to assess goods below those thresholds.
“We are moving from a manual, discretionary system to a data-driven one. Customs officers are not expected to go below the AI-generated values because those represent fair benchmarks,” he added.
Despite defending the policy, Mr Issah acknowledged concerns raised by stakeholders, including importers, exporters, freight forwarders, and trade associations, many of whom have called for further consultations and a phased implementation.
He, however, noted that some industry players are beginning to appreciate the rationale behind the system.
“When you introduce a major reform like this, change management becomes critical. Stakeholders are asking for engagement, and that is a legitimate concern,” he said.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com