The Ministry of Finance has issued a strong warning that no individual or interest group will be allowed to obstruct the rollout of a new AI-driven customs system aimed at tightening revenue collection and boosting compliance.

Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Apem Nyarko said the system will go live next month, describing it as a critical reform in the government’s efforts to shore up domestic revenue and improve decision-making at the ports.

Speaking at the 2026 International Customs Day celebration, he urged customs officials to fully back the reform agenda, stressing that the technology will play a central role in driving growth and safeguarding state revenue.

“I believe that all of you are aware of the public AI tool that we are ready to deploy from next month to help you in your decision-making process. We want to encourage you to support this initiative and make sure it works. We are very determined to ensure that nobody stands in the way of the deployment of this important tool that will help us get the right revenue for the state,” he said.

He added that: ‘Our goal is to build a customs administration that is efficient, professional, and responsive to the needs of both the state and trading community while ensuring a secure and safe environment for all stakeholders.”

The Deputy Minister’s remarks come amid broader government efforts to close revenue leakages and strengthen compliance across Ghana’s trade ecosystem.

For his part, Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Sarpong, reminded customs officers that their daily work goes beyond revenue mobilisation and directly underpins national development.“

Revenue is prime, and as we say in GRA, revenue is the lifeblood of the nation. Without the revenue, our nation will not develop, and therefore, what we do, and I keep on telling each and every one of us, that every day what we do is actually national development, not revenue mobilization.

“The national development agenda is the key foundation that drives us to do the things that we do that bring the revenue,” he said.