The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says the introduction of the Publican Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool is significantly improving revenue mobilisation and enhancing compliance within Ghana’s customs administration system.
Officials of the Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTSB) of the Customs Division of the GRA, speaking at a Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority’s (GPHA) media forum, said the AI-driven tool was introduced to help detect customs infractions, including under-declaration, misdescription, over-invoicing and undervaluation of imports.
Mr Desmond Serlom Agbaku, a Senior Revenue Officer of the CTSB, said the system was introduced following concerns over revenue losses linked to customs offences and abuse of import documentation processes.
Mr Agbaku said the AI tool analyses information relating to importers, exporters, bank transfers, trade documents and historical customs records to support customs officers in determining the value, classification and origin of goods.
“The Publican AI is a tool to help customs in valuation, classification and determining the origin of goods. It analyses information and presents risk indicators to officers to support effective decision-making,” he said.
Mr Agbaku noted that since its full deployment in March after its pilot in February 2026, the authority had recorded improvements in revenue collection, attributing the gains partly to increased compliance among importers.
He explained that the AI tool does not replace customs officers but complements existing valuation and risk management tools used by the authority.
“The Publican AI is just one of the tools available to customs officers. It supports the work of officers and helps make our processes more effective and efficient,” he stated.
He added that the system could identify inconsistencies in trade documentation, suspicious valuations, possible disease risks associated with imported goods and other indicators requiring closer scrutiny by customs officials.
Mr Frank Atakra, a Senior Revenue Officer of the CTSB, said the Customs had maintained its appeal mechanisms to ensure fairness and transparency in the valuation process, adding that importers who were dissatisfied with assessments could submit additional documents and request a review.
According to him, appeals officers review the supporting evidence submitted by importers and might adjust assessments where sufficient justification is provided.
He added that some appeals involving financial transactions and contractual arrangements might require the personal appearance of importers or their representatives for further clarification.
GNA