The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, has called for greater clarity on the implementation of a new artificial intelligence-powered customs classification and valuation system at Ghana’s ports, despite backing government’s efforts to increase revenue and curb leakages.
Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Okyere Baafi said the Minority supports measures aimed at improving revenue mobilisation but questioned the process and legality of the rollout of the Pelican Trade Solution.
“We are not against government generating more revenue for the state… I’m also not against government trying to seal all leakages,” he said.
Government recently announced the full rollout of the AI-based system, which is designed to assist customs officers in determining the actual value of imported goods.
According to Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem, the system, after a pilot at the Tema Port, identified discrepancies that generated an average of $3 million daily in additional revenue.
But Okyere Baafi challenged the claim that the system was piloted before implementation, insisting that official communication to customs officers suggested otherwise.
“There’s nowhere in the circular or the memorandum that stated that what they were doing was a pilot project. No, it was the beginning of the implementation of the project,” he said.
He further criticised the lack of stakeholder consultation, noting that key players in the import and export chain were not adequately engaged before the system was introduced.
“We are talking about stakeholders. Freight forwarders will be affected, traders will be affected, exporters and importers will be affected. All these people are in business,” he said.
“I expect the government to know that in bringing a very crucial policy like this, there should be a thorough stakeholder engagement.”
The New Juaben South MP also raised legal concerns, arguing that aspects of the new system may be inconsistent with existing customs laws and international obligations.
“We have a law… Parliament has passed a law… it has not been amended. Then you say you will do something different from what the Act says.” he questioned.
Okyere Baafi revealed that he has formally requested information from the Ghana Revenue Authority under the Right to Information Act to better understand the system and its compliance with the law.
He stressed that beyond the rollout process, the most critical issue remains the claims about revenue gains.
“What is so serious is not about whether we are bringing an additional system… what is serious is the claim,” he said.
Source: metrotvonline.com
