Government’s deployment of the Publican AI Trade Solution has generated more than US$300 million in additional assessed customs collections within months of its rollout, providing what Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson describes as compelling evidence that technology can significantly reduce revenue leakages at the country’s ports.
Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review to Parliament, the Finance Minister said the artificial intelligence-driven customs valuation platform has transformed import declaration scrutiny since its full implementation in March 2026.
According to him, the system increased assessed customs collections by over US$300 million between its pilot phase in January-February and the full rollout period from March to July 17, 2026, representing a 17.5 percent uplift over values initially declared by importers.
The Publican AI system uses advanced analytics and risk detection tools to identify potential undervaluation, misclassification and other irregularities in import declarations that could result in revenue losses to the state.
Dr. Forson told Parliament that while the platform increased the aggregate declared cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of imports by approximately 6.3 percent, it boosted assessed customs revenue by 17.5 percent, indicating that many import consignments had previously been under-assessed.
Since deployment, the platform has analysed approximately 366,000 import declarations, with nearly one in four declarations—about 24 percent—triggering multiple valuation risk indicators requiring further examination by customs officials.
“Before the deployment of Publican AI, many of these declarations would likely have been cleared without scrutiny, leading to substantial revenue loss,” the Finance Minister noted.
The monthly revenue impact has been significant.
Data presented in Parliament show that the platform generated additional assessed collections of US$73.44 million in March, US$51.63 million in April, US$72.51 million in May, US$55.84 million in June, and US$35.17 million during the first 17 days of July.
The revenue gains have translated into higher customs receipts despite the appreciation of the cedi.
Average monthly customs revenue has increased from approximately GH¢4 billion in 2025 to between GH¢5.3 billion and GH¢5.5 billion in 2026, according to government figures.
The Finance Minister said the results reinforce government’s position that revenue mobilisation can be improved through stronger compliance and smarter administration rather than through the introduction of additional taxes.
The AI platform forms part of a broader customs modernisation agenda aimed at closing loopholes within the import clearance process and reducing tax evasion.
Government has argued that abuses within warehousing, transit, temporary admissions and free-zone arrangements have resulted in substantial revenue losses over the years. Between 2020 and 2025, about 37 percent of taxable imports passed through customs suspense regimes that authorities believe have been vulnerable to leakages and abuse.
To address these challenges, proposed reforms include statutory warehousing limits, enhanced electronic inventory tracking, tighter import declaration requirements and the introduction of a First Port Duty Rule under a new Customs Bill currently before Parliament.
The success of Publican AI aligns with government’s wider strategy of leveraging digital technology to improve tax administration and revenue collection.
Earlier in the review, Dr. Forson reported that AI-supported customs reforms had already contributed to approximately 15 percent growth in monthly customs revenue, while helping to reduce leakages and strengthen compliance.
The government is also piloting additional technology-based initiatives, including cross-border VAT collection systems for non-resident digital platforms and the rollout of Fiscal Electronic Devices to improve VAT compliance.
The development comes as government seeks to increase non-oil tax revenue from 13.1 percent of GDP in 2025 to 14.1 percent in 2026 without introducing new taxes.
By: Christian Akorlie / businesspostonline
