The Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has justified government’s decision to introduce the Publican AI system at the country’s ports, despite mounting opposition from sections of the trading community.
The AI-driven system has, in recent weeks, triggered intense debate among stakeholders in the import and export sector, with several trade groups calling for its immediate suspension over concerns about its potential impact on port operations, costs, and the ease of doing business.
But government officials insist the initiative is essential to strengthening revenue mobilisation and improving transparency within customs processes.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, Mr. Ampem outlined the rationale behind the policy, citing longstanding inefficiencies within Ghana’s public financial management framework.
He explained that the rollout of the Publican AI system forms part of a broader strategy to modernise revenue collection systems and address persistent loopholes that have historically led to significant financial losses.
According to him, government has already begun institutionalising key reforms aimed at enhancing fiscal discipline and accountability across the public sector.
“The Ministry has, since March 2026, set up the PFM Systems Division. The focus is to ensure that the planned rollout of structural and system PFM changes is done on time, within scope, and on budget.
“This high priority for systemic changes in PFM is what informed our decision to introduce an AI-powered system to strengthen Customs administration, detect undervaluation, and close long-standing revenue leakages at our ports,” he explained.
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