AGI backs GRA’s Publican AI platform  

 By Thomas-Moore Adingo

The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has backed Ghana Revenue Authority’s rollout of the Publican AI platform, citing its potential to improve transparency, efficiency and dispute resolution within the Customs and trade ecosystem.

Following a presentation by the GRA team led by Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong at a stakeholder engagement in Accra, AGI President Dr. Kofi Nsiah-Poku said the association is satisfied with progress made so far and encouraged by the digital platform’s introduction.

He added that AGI remains committed to sustained engagement with the Authority, provided concerns raised by businesses through the system are addressed promptly and efficiently.

Dr. Nsiah-Poku also urged GRA to adhere strictly to its commitment to resolve complaints within 48 hours to prevent escalation of disputes.

“You have committed to working diligently to ensure that concerns and complaints are resolved within 48 hours. We would urge you to stick to that,” he said.

He further called for continuous feedback and collaboration to prevent a build-up of unresolved issues, noting that consistent and timely resolution of complaints will reduce disputes over time.

“For many of us, this is our first encounter with such a system. Initially, there was some uncertainty but your explanations have been clear and helpful. We are pleased with the engagement and responses provided so far,” he added.

The AGI president expressed hope that improved operational efficiency within GRA will translate into increased domestic revenue mobilisation to support broader national development priorities.

Mr. Sarpong, for his part, described the relationship between GRA and AGI as a long-term partnership aimed at supporting business growth and enhancing revenue generation.

“Our objective is to support your business so that it grows and thrives. When AGI members perform well and increase their profitability, it benefits government through higher revenues. This creates a virtuous cycle wherein government can deploy these resources for national development,” he said.

He explained that the Publican AI platform builds on an existing internal appeals mechanisms within the Customs Division, where importers and their agents can seek redress through a dedicated review team.

The new system, he noted, formalises and digitises the process – with a clearly-defined 48-hour service benchmark for resolving complaints aimed at improving trade facilitation and service delivery.

“Timely resolution is critical because trade facilitation is central to our mandate. Delays affect the ability of importers to clear goods promptly, disrupting supply chains and business growth,” he said.

GRA also addressed concerns relating to misclassification and valuation of imports – two major sources of disputes between importers and Customs authorities.

It explained that under the globally accepted Harmonised System, every traded product is assigned a classification code which determines applicable duties – making accurate classification essential. Similarly, valuation must reflect the actual transaction value of goods – subject to verification in line with international best practice.

According to the Authority, persistent under-declaration and misclassification have contributed to revenue leakages; thus depriving the state of critical resources for infrastructure development including roads, schools and healthcare.

“Our objective is to work collaboratively with the business community to uphold fairness. Importers must ensure accurate declarations while we ensure transparency and consistency in enforcement,” Mr. Sarpong said.

Both parties agreed to strengthen cooperation to ensure the platform’s success, enhance compliance and safeguard public revenue while facilitating trade. They also agreed to establish a technical committee to expedite the resolution of concerns raised by manufacturers regarding importation of raw materials for production.

Why Publican AI?

Rolling out the Publican AI system forms part of efforts to modernise Customs administration, strengthen compliance and curb persistent revenue leakages at the country’s ports.

In recent years, GRA has increasingly deployed digital tools to improve efficiency and transparency in revenue mobilisation – with Publican AI introduced as an artificial intelligence-driven platform to support classification and valuation of imported goods.

According to the Authority, the system uses international trade data and automated analytics to detect under-declaration, misclassification and other forms of import fraud while reducing manual intervention and improving consistency in duty assessment.

The move is also seen as a response to discrepancies in import data, which authorities say have contributed to significant revenue losses over time.

While insisting that no additional charges will be imposed, Mr. Sarpong acknowledged that some businesses may experience higher duty payments when discrepancies such as misclassification or under-declaration are identified and corrected.

Such adjustments, he said, should not be misconstrued as new taxes but rather seen as the outcome of more accurate assessments.

He added that the reforms aim to establish a fair and consistent baseline for valuation and classification, ensuring equitable assessment across businesses while closing loopholes and discouraging revenue leakages.

Beyond revenue protection, the reforms are also intended to facilitate trade by making processes more predictable and efficient; thereby supporting legitimate businesses and strengthening confidence in the trade regime.

Recent protest

The Publican AI system’s implementation has faced resistance from sections of the trading community, led by the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana and freight forwarders.

Opponents argue that the system lacks transparency and has resulted in inflated duty assessments based on what they describe as arbitrary valuation benchmarks.

Earlier this month the group embarked on a nationwide strike, suspending port operations and halting duty payments in protest.

Industry players have also cited concerns over valuation delays, limited clarity on the role of Customs officers in relation to AI-generated values and absence of clear dispute resolution mechanisms.

Despite the protests, GRA maintains that Publican AI is critical to safeguarding public revenue and insists it complements existing valuation methods while enhancing accuracy and reducing opportunities for manipulation. Ongoing engagements between authorities and stakeholders are aimed at addressing concerns and balancing revenue protection with trade facilitation.

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