PAPERLESS "PUBICAN AI" SYSTEM BOOSTS CUSTOMS REVENUE BY $300M IN 6 MONTHS

Government’s new AI-powered trade platform, *Publican AI*, has increased assessed customs collections by *over $300 million* between January and July 2026, the Minister for Finance, *Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson*, has announced.

Presenting the *Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget* in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026, Dr. Forson said the system was fully deployed in *March 2026* and has delivered remarkable results.

*"Solution was fully deployed in March twenty-six and the results has been remarkable. Mister Speaker, between the pilot phase, January and February and the full roll out phase, March to seventeen July twenty twenty-six the publican AI trade solution increased assessed customs collection by over three hundred million dollars. Representing seventeen point five percent uplift over the values originally declared by importers,"* he stated.

Dr. Forson explained that the system is improving both valuations and revenue without slowing trade.

*"Mr Speaker publican increased the aggregate declared costs insurance and fruit value of imports by approximately six point three percent but increased the assessed collection by seventeen point five percent,"* he told the House.

Since deployment, the system has analyzed *approximately 366,000 import declarations*. About *1 in 4 declarations — 24% — triggered more than one valuation risk indicator* for further review by customs officials.

*"Since deployment Mister Speaker the system has analyzed approximately three hundred and sixty-six thousand import declarations. Nearly one in every four representing twenty-four percent triggered more than one valuation risk indicator requiring further review by customs officials. Before the deployment of the publican AI, many of these declarations would have been cleared without scrutiny leading to substantially revenue losses,"* Dr. Forson said.

The Minister highlighted the impact in the first months of full rollout.

*"Mr Speaker the positive impact on customs revenue collection has been a has been massive. Mister Speaker, in March twenty twenty-six alone publican increased the assessed collection by seventy-three point four four million United States dollars representing an uplift of twenty-five point seven percent. Mister Speaker this was followed by additional assessed collection of fifty-one point six three million in April twenty-six,"* he stated.