The Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) has raised serious concerns over Parliament’s approval of an agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and TRUEDARE Investments Limited for the rollout of a digital customs tracking and Artificial Intelligence–based audit system.

TAGG disputes official assurances that the agreement will come at “no additional cost to the state,” arguing that any new trade facilitation expenses introduced at the ports are ultimately transferred to traders and consumers along the supply chain.

In a statement signed by its leadership, the group warned that additional charges—whether explicit or indirect—would affect importers and exporters and eventually increase the cost of goods for households across the country.

TAGG also questioned the justification for introducing what it described as a parallel system, given the existence of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), which has been in operation since 2020.

According to the group, ICUMS already provides comprehensive customs functions, including cargo tracking, risk profiling and post-clearance audits.

The group argued that if the government believes ICUMS has significant deficiencies, those claims should be backed by publicly available, independent technical assessments.

“Announcing alleged gaps without releasing supporting evidence undermines transparency and accountability,” the statement noted.

Further concerns were raised about TRUEDARE Investments Limited itself.

TAGG said its own checks indicate that the company was incorporated in Cyprus in December 2024, has minimal stated capital and lacks a publicly verifiable track record in large-scale customs IT systems, Artificial Intelligence–driven audits or container tracking technologies.

TAGG described it as risky for Parliament to assign a sensitive national digital function to a newly established offshore entity without full disclosure of its technical capacity, ownership structure and the basis for its selection.

The group is calling for the full publication of the contract, an independent value-for-money and technical review of both ICUMS and the proposed TRUEDARE system, and clear disclosure of who will ultimately bear the costs associated with the agreement.

“There is no ‘Father Christmas’ in customs; someone always pays,” TAGG President David Kwadwo Amoateng said, urging the  government to suspend implementation of the agreement until broader stakeholder consultations are held.

TAGG warned that opaque contracts and undisclosed fees risk undermining existing customs reforms and placing unnecessary financial strain on traders and Ghanaian consumers.