Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has revealed that the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence-powered customs monitoring system at Ghana’s Tema and Takoradi ports is significantly increasing government revenue while helping authorities detect undervaluation and false import declarations.
Speaking at the Ishmael Yamson & Associates Business Roundtable, Dr Forson said the AI-driven system had already uncovered major discrepancies between the values declared by importers and the actual taxes due to the state.
According to him, a recent review involving 2,364 imported consignments showed that importers declared a combined Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) value of $184.5 million and tax obligations of $16.4 million.
However, the AI system reportedly rejected the declarations and recalculated the actual tax liability at $19.7 million, resulting in an additional $3.3 million in revenue for the state.
“The AI rejected it and said it is not correct and that the actual value in terms of tax the state will have to earn is $19.7 million,” Dr Forson explained.
AI Flags Suspicious Coffee Import Transaction
The Finance Minister also disclosed how the system detected suspicious inconsistencies involving a major company importing coffee into Ghana.
According to him, the importer claimed the coffee originated from Abidjan and declared freight costs based on that route. However, the AI system reportedly identified financial transactions linking the company to Switzerland instead.
“The AI said that no, this coffee is certainly not coming from Abidjan, because this company has been transferring money from Ghana to Switzerland,” he stated.
Dr Forson said authorities challenged the importer to provide evidence supporting the declared origin and payments, but the company failed to return with documentation before eventually clearing the goods.
Linking Foreign Transfers to Imports
The Finance Minister explained that government was now integrating all import-related foreign exchange transfers into the AI platform to strengthen customs verification processes.
“So, for example, if you transfer GH¢10 million to buy goods, we will match the GH¢10 million transferred from Ghana to what you are bringing into the country,” he said.
Under the new system, importers whose declared goods values do not correspond with transferred amounts would be required to provide proof before goods are cleared.
AI Expansion Beyond Customs
Dr Forson further revealed that the Finance Ministry was developing a broader AI-powered macroeconomic model capable of assisting policymakers in managing economic crises and generating policy recommendations.
“The artificial intelligence will give you suggestions and ideas on what you can do to solve a particular crisis,” he noted.
The Minister described AI as critical to the future of governance and economic management, concluding that, “AI or die” reflects the direction in which the global economy is moving.
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