The Ghana Revenue Authority plans to overhaul the classification and valuation of imported goods through the adoption of artificial intelligence. Commissioner General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong announced the initiative at the KPMG and UNDP 2026 Post Budget Forum in Accra on Monday, November 17. The forum was held under the theme Resetting for Growth, Jobs and Economic Transformation.
Mr Sarpong highlighted long standing challenges affecting customs operations in Ghana. These include misclassification of imported goods, inaccurate valuation, incorrect identification of country of origin, and cases of tampering with shipping manifests. He noted that such issues create loopholes that undermine revenue mobilisation.
He described misclassification and valuation as major setbacks, stressing the importance of accurate country of origin data since duty payments differ across markets. He also cited worrying instances where the contents of shipping manifests appear to change between departure and arrival. He gave an example of a vessel reported to be carrying a container of rice that arrived with gypsum powder.
To tackle these challenges, the GRA is introducing an AI driven system that will work alongside customs officers. The technology will support the assessment, classification and valuation of imports, drastically cutting down the time required for duty computation. According to Mr Sarpong, the AI system can determine the applicable duty within ten minutes once the necessary data is provided. At present, the same process can take officers between thirty minutes and one hour.
The initiative forms part of broader revenue administration reforms aimed at reducing human error, limiting fraudulent practices, and improving efficiency across customs operations. The GRA believes that automating key aspects of customs procedures will quicken clearance processes, enhance accuracy in duty collection and boost investor confidence.
The move aligns with government policy directions outlined in the 2026 Budget, which emphasise the creation of a more transparent, technology driven tax administration system to support economic growth and job creation.
