A former Member of Parliament for Effia, Joseph Cudjoe, has raised concerns over the potential financial implications of the Truedare Publican Artificial Intelligence (AI) Customs agreement, warning that Ghana could lose billions of cedis under undisclosed terms.
In a detailed analysis, he argued that while the system is expected to boost customs revenue, the lack of transparency surrounding its financial structure raises serious questions.
He noted that Ghana’s Customs Division has generated an average of GH₵31 billion annually over the past three years without the AI system.
According to him, projections suggesting a possible 45% increase in revenue could translate into an additional GH₵14 billion each year.
However, he cautioned that if a private entity is entitled to as much as 20% of the incremental revenue, it could result in payments of about GH₵2.8 billion annually.
He warned that over a five to ten-year period, Ghana could potentially pay between GH₵14 billion and GH₵28 billion to the service providers, depending on the contract duration.
He described the situation as a “potential fiscal blind spot,” stressing that the absence of publicly available details on the agreement poses significant risks.
Mr Cudjoe emphasised that his concerns are not about opposing digitalisation or revenue enhancement, but about safeguarding public funds.
He called for full disclosure of the contract’s financial terms, including the revenue-sharing model and duration, to ensure transparency and accountability.