The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced the government’s intention to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to reduce human interference in revenue assessment, particularly at customs entry points.
Presenting the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament on Thursday, July 24, Dr. Forson revealed that customs revenue underperformed in the first half of the year, recording a shortfall of GH₵1.6 billion.
This represents a 12.7% decline compared to projections, despite overall domestic revenue performing relatively well.
He attributed the decline to systemic leakages at key customs revenue points, especially the Tema Port, and the increasing smuggling of gold across Ghana’s land borders.
“These developments pose risks to the attainment of our revenue targets for the year 2025,” Dr. Forson stated.
He emphasised that reducing human interference through AI will play a crucial role in closing the revenue loopholes and improving efficiency at customs.