'Stakeholders were not consulted before Publican AI rollout at ports' – GUTA

The Director of Welfare of Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA), Benjamin Yeboah has raised concerns over the introduction of an artificial intelligence system at the country’s ports.

He stressed that major stakeholders were left out of the consultation process prior to its implementation.

He said the system, called Publican AI, only came to their attention during the 2026 budget presentation by the Finance Minister.

In an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on April 22, 2026,Yeboah, explained that the union had no prior knowledge of the initiative before it was publicly announced.

“They only became aware when the Finance Minister mentioned in the 2026 budget that an AI system would be deployed at the ports to monitor valuations and detect misclassification of goods,” he stated.

He noted that the government justified the move by claiming it was losing significant revenue due to improper declarations by importers.

“The Minister suggested that some importers were shortchanging the state, leading to revenue losses through under-declaration,” he stated.

Following the revelation, GUTA decided to engage the ministry to better understand the system and its implications.

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“They believed it was important to meet with authorities since they are key stakeholders and needed clarity on how the AI system would function,” he said.

He added that authorities claimed the AI had already flagged about 14 companies for suspected under-declaration and presented estimates of revenue losses.

“They indicated that some companies had not declared goods properly and even provided figures they believed were owed to the government,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the potential impact of the system on import values and business operations.

According to him, “they asked whether the system would lead to higher valuations and create challenges for traders.”

Although officials assured them that most transactions would not be affected, Yeboah said the reality on the ground suggests otherwise.

He explained that authorities claimed only about 24 to 25 percent of cases might face issues, while the majority would proceed smoothly.

However, traders are already experiencing increased costs, citing cases where charges per container have risen from about 100,000 to as much as 300,000.

Yeboah warned that these developments could have serious consequences, including delays and financial losses.

“Goods could be held up at the ports, leading to damage and additional costs for importers,” he said.

SO/EB

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