Ghana to plug US$127 billion revenue leakages with new AI customs tool

Thomas Ampem Nyarko is the Deputy Minister of Finance

The government is set to implement and roll out a new advanced AI-powered trade analytics system in the coming days to safeguard and modernize Ghana’s customs operations, while combating smuggling and shipping fraud.

This was disclosed by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, who explained that the system is designed to support customs decision-making in real time.

The new system, which is expected to take effect from February 1, 2026, will block the over US$127 billion annual revenue leakages, enhancing the modernisation of customs operations and improving efficiency.

In November 2025, Parliament approved an agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Truedare Investment Limited to modernise customs administration through the tracking of container contents for imported goods.

The agreement aims to introduce a digital inspection solution to complement the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), thereby enhancing revenue mobilization.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement on the Publican Digital Inspection Solution System on January 16, 2026, the deputy minister emphasized that Ghana lost billions of cedis between 2020 and 2025 due to customs fraud and illegal trade.

He noted that the introduction of the system would help sanitise the sector and enable the government to mobilise the revenue it needs.

“Available data from commercial banks indicated that over 127 billion dollars, euros, and pounds were transmitted out of the country between 2020 and 2025, but only goods worth 52 billion were declared. Government has therefore committed to deploying an AI-powered trade data analytics system called the Publican AI system, which has already been introduced in over 20 countries worldwide, to modernise customs administration and enhance revenue mobilization,” he stated.

He added that the initiative would come at no extra cost to importers and freight forwarders in the country.

For his part, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, explained how the system would support government efforts to shore up domestic revenue mobilization.

He also assured stakeholders that the system would not serve as an avenue for additional levies.

“We would like you to see this exercise as an exercise of helping us to generate revenue for the state. All of these things that we are doing, the core aim is to block revenue leakages, to block risk areas, and to raise the needed domestic revenue for the state,” he added.

SP/SA