Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has announced that government’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customs reforms have increased monthly customs revenue by approximately 17%, attributing the gains to stronger compliance, improved enforcement, and a significant reduction in revenue leakages.

Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, Dr. Forson said the government had moved beyond tax policy by deploying AI and other digital technologies to strengthen customs administration and improve revenue mobilisation.

“Since the introduction of the AI-powered customs reforms, monthly customs revenue has increased by approximately 17%, reflecting stronger compliance, more effective enforcement, and significantly reduced leakages,” he told Parliament.

The Finance Minister also said the government "amended the misuse of the Tax Refund Account to ensure that resources intended for legitimate tax refunds were no longer used as a slush fund.”

According to Dr. Forson, the reforms have delivered strong fiscal results despite the government's decision to abolish several taxes and refrain from introducing new ones.

He disclosed that non-oil tax revenue increased by 0.5 percentage points of GDP, rising from 12.6% in 2024 to 13.1% in 2025.

The Finance Minister said the figures demonstrate that government has been able to improve domestic revenue mobilisation through efficiency-enhancing reforms rather than imposing additional taxes.

“Simply put, government collected more taxes in 2025 even after abolishing the nuisance taxes, including the E-Levy,” he stated.

He added that "the lesson here is simple: better policy, stronger compliance and smarter administration will always deliver more sustainable revenue than higher taxes."