Ghana’s business community has raised serious concerns about Parliament’s approval of an agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Cyprus-registered TRUEDARE Investments Limited to introduce a digital customs tracking and artificial intelligence audit system.
The Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) issued a strongly worded statement on December 29 calling for full public disclosure and an independent review of the deal, which is intended to supplement the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) reportedly at no additional cost to the state.
“If government now asserts material gaps exist in ICUMS requiring a new system, all technical analyses and justifications must be openly accessible, not shrouded in secrecy,” TAGG stated in its document titled “No Father Christmas in Customs.”
Parliament approved the agreement in November following a Finance Committee report presented by Chairman Isaac Adongo, who noted the deal does not impose any additional cost on the state. The arrangement seeks to introduce digital inspection for tracking imported cargo containers, address perceived weaknesses in documentation and improve revenue mobilization.
TAGG, however, has questioned the selection of TRUEDARE Investments Limited based on corporate records obtained from Cyprus. According to the group, the firm was incorporated on December 28, 2024 with issued share capital of just €1,545, and its listed business activities relate to general trade rather than customs technology, AI or digital inspection systems.
“We found no public evidence that TRUEDARE has designed or operated large scale customs systems, AI audits or container tracking solutions elsewhere,” said David Kwadwo Amoateng, president of TAGG. He described entrusting such a mandate to a newly incorporated, minimally capitalized offshore entity without full public disclosure as posing significant risk.
ICUMS was implemented in June 2020 as Ghana’s single window e-customs platform, designed to provide end to end customs data management including risk assessment, post clearance audit and cargo tracking. The system replaced the previous multiplicity of vendors with an integrated solution meant to reduce costs and systemic leakages.
TAGG challenged government claims that the programme would come at no additional cost to the state, arguing that trade facilitation expenses must ultimately be borne by someone. The group questioned whether new fees would be imposed on consignments or containers and passed on to traders, importers and consumers.
“Describing this as no cost to the state obscures the true economic burden, which almost certainly falls on Ghanaian businesses and households,” the statement read.
The advocacy group warned that running parallel systems without clarity on data sovereignty, cybersecurity, integration and accountability could increase complexity and costs for traders. TAGG emphasized its support for technology and AI in customs operations but expressed opposition to opaque contracts, weak due diligence and mechanisms that transfer hidden costs onto traders and consumers.
The group is calling for full publication of the GRA TRUEDARE contract including financial and technical annexes, an independent technical and value for money review of ICUMS and the proposed system, clear disclosure of who ultimately pays for the programme, and a moratorium on implementation until transparency is achieved.
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana previously raised similar concerns, warning that allowing a newly incorporated foreign entity access to ICUMS data introduces serious risks regarding data sovereignty, cybersecurity and potential revenue leakages.
The GRA has yet to respond publicly to the specific allegations but earlier statements highlighted the initiative’s aim to boost revenue collection and improve trade facilitation.