By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada
A growing national debate over rising import duties has taken a decisive turn as Member of Parliament Attah Issah firmly defended the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven customs valuation system by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), describing it as a necessary weapon against long-standing corruption and revenue leakages at Ghana’s ports.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, April 13, 2026, Mr Issah made the government’s position unmistakably clear:
“The system was introduced to stop revenue leakages. We cannot continue to ignore the discrepancies that have existed within our import valuation regime.”
The policy has triggered concern among importers, freight forwarders, and trade stakeholders, many of whom argue that the new system has sharply increased import duties, threatening their businesses and pushing some toward industrial action.
However, Mr Issah dismissed allegations of manipulation:
“I haven’t heard any stakeholder point to manipulation of data. What we are hearing is that the values have gone up, and that is expected where there has been under-declaration.”
Backing his claims with audit data, he revealed a shocking discrepancy:
“Ghana’s total import value within the period was about 127 billion dollars, yet only 52 billion dollars was declared. That is a major red flag we cannot gloss over.”
According to him, the AI system eliminates human interference by automatically detecting undervaluation, misclassification, and false declarations.
“We are moving from a manual, discretionary system to a data-driven one. Customs officers are not expected to go below the AI-generated values because those represent fair benchmarks.”
While acknowledging stakeholder concerns, he admitted:
“When you introduce a major reform like this, change management becomes critical. Stakeholders are asking for engagement, and that is a legitimate concern.”
Commentary | Boakye Stephen
This development exposes a deeper national issue: for years, Ghana has not been losing money, it has been bleeding it.
If indeed $127 billion worth of imports shrank into $52 billion on paper, then the problem is not the AI, the problem is the system that allowed such distortion to exist.
The resistance we are witnessing may not just be economic discomfort, it may also be institutional resistance to transparency.
Yet, reform must be balanced. A system designed to correct injustice must not unintentionally crush legitimate businesses.
The real question is not whether AI should be used, but whether Ghana is ready to face the truth it reveals.
