For years, Ghana’s ports have been the heartbeat of trade in West Africa. Tema and Takoradi are not just entry points for goods; they are lifelines for businesses, jobs, and government revenue. But today, that heartbeat is under strain.
The reason? A new AI-driven valuation system and years of unresolved grievances have left the very people who keep the ports running feeling ignored. This is not the first protest. And if nothing changes, it will not be the last.
In March this year, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) rolled out an AI-driven cargo valuation system. The idea was to modernize risk analysis and curb under-declaration. However, freight forwarders claim that the system is creating more chaos.
The argument is that, the Publican AI acts as a minimum valuation regime, preventing customs officers from applying values below those generated by the system. As a result, Clearance has been slowed and duties have increased significantly. Industry players are therefore demanding the immediate suspension of the AI system.
When freight forwarders bleed, everyone bleeds. Importers face higher costs, which are passed on to consumers. Small businesses lose contracts because they cannot guarantee delivery times. The Government also loses revenue when ports shut down.
The protests are not sabotage; They are a distress signal from the people who understand the port better than anyone.
The way forward
If Ghana is serious about becoming West Africa’s trade gateway under AfCFTA, these fires cannot keep burning. Here are some steps the government must take:
Technology should support trade, not strangle it. The Government must suspend Publican AI as a mandatory valuation tool and revert to statutory methods under Act 891 while a full stakeholder review is done. Use AI for risk flagging, not as a price floor.
Compel all shipping lines to submit local charges for approval by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority. Scrap demurrage on weekends and public holidays when clearing is impossible. Where fees are illegally charged, order refunds.
Forwarders are right: port issues cut across finance, trade, transport, and security. Set up a legally mandated council with all agencies and private sector reps to make binding decisions. No more inter agency blame games.
If shipping lines want to charge demurrage daily, they must operate daily. Equally, GRA and GPHA must have offline backup systems so that a fibre cut does not shut down the economy.
No one is against modernization. I believe freight forwarders support digitization; they were early adopters of ICUMS. What they reject is being used as test subjects for unstable systems while also battling exploitation from shipping lines.
The ports work when there is trust. Currently, trust is weakened. The role of Government is not to win arguments with stakeholders, but to strengthen systems that enable business to thrive.
Maxwell Adu Takyi
LLM (International Trade and Business Law), BL Candidate
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