The Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) has expressed strong concerns over Parliament’s recent approval of an agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and TRUEDARE Investments Limited for the deployment of a digital customs tracking and artificial intelligence (AI) audit system.

According to TAGG, the agreement, which is intended to complement the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), requires urgent public scrutiny to ensure transparency, value for money, and to assess its potential long-term effects on traders and consumers.

Reports from Parliament’s Finance Committee and sections of the media indicate that the deal seeks to introduce a digital inspection platform to track imported cargo containers, enhance documentation and monitoring processes, and boost revenue mobilisation. While government officials have stated that the system will be implemented at no cost to the state, TAGG insists this claim must be critically examined, given the scale and sensitivity of customs operations.

The group noted that ICUMS, which has been in operation since 2020, was designed as a comprehensive, end-to-end electronic customs system. It already incorporates risk profiling, cargo tracking, post-clearance audits and data analytics aimed at reducing costs, limiting human interference and curbing revenue leakages. TAGG argued that any claim of significant deficiencies in ICUMS warranting a parallel system must be supported by publicly available technical evaluations.

TAGG stressed that the absence of full disclosure on the analyses informing the agreement leaves critical questions unanswered, especially as customs reforms directly affect import costs, the ease of doing business and, ultimately, consumer prices nationwide.

As part of its assessment, TAGG reviewed corporate records of TRUEDARE Investments Limited in Cyprus. The group said the company was incorporated on December 28, 2024, and is listed as engaging in general trading, with no clear indication of expertise in customs technology, artificial intelligence or digital inspection systems.

TAGG further disclosed that the company’s issued share capital is €1,545 and is owned by two individual shareholders resident in the European Union, alongside one former corporate shareholder. The records reviewed reportedly show no significant assets or encumbrances typically associated with companies executing large-scale national digital infrastructure projects.

These findings, TAGG said, raise serious questions about TRUEDARE’s technical capacity, financial strength and overall suitability to deliver a system that could have far-reaching implications for Ghana’s customs administration and revenue mobilisation framework.

In response, TAGG is calling on Parliament, the Ministry of Finance and the GRA to publish the full details of the agreement, including the procurement process and technical justification for the deal. The group maintains that customs reforms must serve the public interest and be subjected to the highest standards of accountability, given their direct impact on traders, consumers and the wider economy.