Importers Association backs Publican AI, calls for urgent action on port congestion

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has expressed support for the Publican Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trade Solution, saying the system has improved customs valuation, strengthened revenue mobilisation and reduced excessive human discretion at Ghana’s ports.

The Association, however, has called on the government and relevant authorities to urgently address challenges including delays in valuation appeals, fluctuations in duty assessments, container congestion at the Tema Port, port security concerns and disruptions to digital payment platforms.

Speaking at a press conference on August 27, 2026, Samson Asaki Awingobit, the Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, said, "The Publican AI system, which became fully operational at Ghana’s ports on March 12, 2026, had delivered significant results after five months of implementation."

He said it initially raised concerns about stakeholder engagement, transparency, data integrity, system integration and operational readiness, but later supported the system after engagements with the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

According to him, the system has helped replace subjective customs valuation processes with a technology-driven approach based on verified trade data, global price intelligence and risk indicators.

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He said this had helped address longstanding concerns about under-valuation, misclassification, false declarations and excessive human discretion in customs valuation.

The IEAG cited figures from the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, saying the Publican AI system had increased assessed customs collections by more than US$300 million, representing a 17.5 per cent increase over values originally declared by importers.

He added that approximately 366,000 import declarations had been analysed, with about 24 per cent triggering valuation risk indicators requiring further review. In March 2026 alone, assessed customs collections reportedly increased by approximately US$73.44 million, representing a 25.7 per cent uplift.

The Association said the figures demonstrated the potential of technology to improve domestic revenue mobilisation without introducing new taxes.

Despite its support for the Publican AI system, the IEAG said some implementation challenges required urgent attention.

They cited delays in resolving valuation disputes, unexpected fluctuations in duty assessments for similar consignments and the need for continuous stakeholder engagement and capacity building for Customs officers, freight forwarders and clearing agents.

The Association said importers who believe their consignments have been overvalued can seek reviews by submitting documents such as commercial invoices, sales contracts or purchase orders, proof of payment, bills of lading and other relevant import documents.

They have urged the GRA to further strengthen and expedite the review process to ensure legitimate importers receive timely redress while protecting government revenue.

The IEAG also warned importers to independently verify duty assessments provided by freight forwarders and clearing agents, following complaints that some agents may be exploiting misunderstandings surrounding the Publican AI system to impose exaggerated charges.

The Association also raised concerns about persistent container congestion at the Tema Port, saying it was contributing to traffic within the port enclave and adjoining areas.

It urged the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to consider using some spaces currently leased to private businesses for the development of additional modern container terminal facilities where appropriate.

According to the IEAG, increasing terminal capacity would improve cargo handling, reduce congestion and facilitate the movement of goods and vehicles.

The Association further expressed concern over reports that some shipping lines and their agents were charging above the approved ceiling for the Container Administrative Charge (CAC), which it said currently stood at GH¢720 per Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU).

It appealed to the Minister of Transport to convene an urgent meeting involving the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, shipping lines, shipping agents, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and other stakeholders to resolve the matter.

On port security, the IEAG called on the Inspector-General of Police to strengthen security within the port enclave to support the government's 24-hour economy policy.

The Association said recent robbery attacks involving transporters and individuals offloading cargo had raised concerns and urged security agencies to strengthen patrols, surveillance and rapid-response measures.

AM

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