GRA Commissioner-General Defends Publican AI as Import Clearance Time Drops to Five Minutes

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has officially integrated the Publican AI system into its port operations, a move that promises to revolutionize the country's trade landscape. Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong has lauded the implementation, revealing that the AI-driven platform has drastically reduced the time required for import clearance. Specifically, the processing duration for import declarations has plummeted from an average of two hours under the previous system to just five minutes. This technological shift marks a significant milestone in the GRA’s broader strategy to digitize and streamline revenue collection processes while facilitating faster trade flows.

According to Mr. Sarpong, the Publican AI system is not merely about speed but also about the precision and integrity of the valuation process. By leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, the platform enhances the GRA’s ability to verify import declarations with unprecedented accuracy. The system is designed to detect discrepancies in valuations and strengthen validation procedures by precisely tracing the origin of goods. This capability ensures that the revenue authority can verify whether the prices declared by importers align with global market standards, thereby preventing revenue leakage through under-invoicing or misdeclaration.

The adoption of this technology reflects a commitment to modernizing Ghana’s ports to meet international standards of efficiency. Mr. Sarpong emphasized that ensuring the authenticity of declared prices is a cornerstone of the authority's mandate to protect the national economy. As the GRA continues to refine its digital tools, the transition to AI-supported clearance is expected to provide a more transparent and predictable environment for businesses. By cutting down administrative bottlenecks, the GRA aims to enhance Ghana's competitiveness as a regional trade hub while simultaneously bolstering the state’s revenue mobilization efforts.