GRA to Roll Out AI System to Curb Import Fraud at Tema Port from February 2026
Ghana’s Revenue Authority will deploy an AI-powered customs system from February 1, 2026, to tackle import fraud, boost revenue, and speed up cargo clearance at ports.
GRA to Deploy AI to Tackle Import Fraud from February 1, 2026
The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will begin using an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system to manage import clearance from February 1, 2026, starting at the Tema Port.
The new technology, known as the Publican Trade Solution, is expected to transform customs operations by improving efficiency, transparency, and speed in cargo processing. Authorities project that the system could increase customs revenue by 40 to 45 percent while eliminating long-standing loopholes in import documentation.
A key target of the reform is the abuse of Import Declaration Forms (IDFs). Data from the 2026 Budget reveals that between April 2020 and August 2025, more than 525,000 IDF transactions valued at approximately $83 billion were processed through the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS). However, only 10,440 of those were linked to actual imports.
The figures indicate that an estimated $31 billion was transferred abroad without goods entering the country, while under-declared imports worth about GH¢76 billion deprived the state of roughly GH¢11 billion in potential revenue.
The AI-powered platform will integrate customs and international trade data, enabling real-time analysis to support valuation, risk profiling, and decision-making by customs officers. It is designed to automatically detect under-valuation, misclassification, and other trade malpractices—without increasing costs for importers.
Officials say the system will facilitate legitimate trade while protecting government revenue and closing long-standing leakages at the ports.
Strengthening Cross-Border Trade Controls
Speaking to the media in Accra, Deputy Minister of Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem explained that ICUMS, introduced in June 2020, was meant to harmonise cross-border trade processes, reduce transaction costs, and improve domestic revenue mobilisation.
While acknowledging improvements in trade facilitation and operational efficiency, he noted that challenges such as undervaluation, misclassification, smuggling, and falsification of trade data continue to undermine customs controls.
“These discrepancies highlight the urgent need for an advanced, technology-driven inspection and analytics framework to strengthen compliance and close revenue leakages at the ports,” he said.
The government has therefore approved the deployment of the AI-powered trade data analytics system as part of broader efforts to modernise customs administration and enhance revenue mobilisation across Ghana’s entry points.
