The President of the Association of Customs House Agents Ghana (ACHAG), Yaw Kyei, has called on authorities to engage stakeholders and fully explain the newly introduced AI-powered customs valuation system, warning that the lack of transparency is creating confusion and uncertainty at the ports.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Pulse on Tuesday, March 31, Mr Kyei stressed that customs agents are not opposed to digital transformation but are concerned about how the system is being implemented.

“Our concern is that they should sit us down, let us go through, let us understand it,” he urged. “We are not against the introduction of the AI system or modernisation… but we need clarity on how it works.”

His comments come in the wake of the rollout of the Pelican AI revenue system by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), a platform designed to automate the inspection and valuation of imported goods by cross-checking declarations against global data in real time.

Linking his call for engagement to the practical impact on traders, Mr Kyei warned that the system appears to override internationally accepted valuation methods under the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly the use of transactional values.

“Whatever values you bring on your invoice, the AI system says its own value should prevail,” he explained. “So it doesn’t matter how much you bought your consignment… the system determines what you must pay.”

He argued that this approach ignores key factors such as bulk purchasing discounts and negotiated prices, which typically influence the final cost of imported goods.

According to him, this has already resulted in inconsistencies and sharp increases in duties paid by importers.

“We’ve had cases where the same exporter, same importer, same country of origin – everything the same – but the consignments came out with totally different values,” he revealed.

In another example, he noted that identical items within the same shipment were assigned different values by the system, raising questions about the basis of the AI’s calculations.

The ACHAG President further indicated that some importers are now paying significantly higher duties compared to previous months, in some cases up to four or five times more.

“You could have been paying GH¢10,000 for a consignment, and suddenly you’re told to pay $52,000 because the AI system says so,” he lamented, highlighting concerns about unpredictability in trade.

He explained that such inconsistencies make it difficult for businesses to plan, price goods, and remain competitive.

“If you are trading, you need predictability… so you can project your costs and determine how much to sell your goods,” he added.

The concerns also extend to stakeholder engagement, with Mr Kyei noting that while customs officials may have received limited training, importers and agents have largely been left out.

“We just heard that customs were trained for about a week… but importers and the public have no idea how the system works,” he said.

The Pelican AI system has been introduced as part of government efforts to modernise customs operations and curb revenue losses from undervaluation, misclassification, and smuggling.

However, the rollout has been met with resistance from industry players, including ACHAG, who argue that the system operates like a “black box” with little transparency.

Stakeholders are now calling for a review of the implementation process, urging authorities to prioritise consultation, training, and clarity before fully enforcing the system.

Despite assurances from the GRA that the AI platform will not introduce new charges, concerns persist within the trading community that it could further increase the cost of doing business at Ghana’s ports.

Mr Kyei maintained that while automation is necessary, it must be inclusive and well understood to achieve its intended purpose without disrupting trade.