GIFF Accuses Finance Ministry of Sidelining Stakeholders Over Publican AI Port System
Story: Maurice Otoo
Tensions are rising at Ghana’s ports as the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has accused the Ministry of Finance of failing to properly engage stakeholders before implementing the new Publican AI system.
Jacob Agyeman, Head of PR at GIFF, raised the concerns during a discussion on the Publican AI at the port system.
In a discussion on Kessben TV’s PUNCH, he insisted that, there was _“no proper stakeholder engagement before the implementation.”_
Agyeman said freight forwarders were not consulted on the system’s rollout. _“We were only called to be informed what they intend to do,”_ he stated. He revealed that GIFF wrote two letters to the Finance Ministry seeking to understand _“what exactly they want to do because they are the architects of trade,”_ but both letters went unanswered.
GIFF has noted what it calls _“some disregard by the Finance Ministry because their posture towards us has not been good.”_
Agyeman added that after a meeting with the ministry, _“there was no concrete decision,”_ prompting the coalition to write a letter of appeal for another meeting.
With concerns still unaddressed, he said the group decided to go on strike, per adventure their concerns would be addressed.
Reiterating his stance, Agyeman said, _“There was no proper stakeholders’ engagement and I demand the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, ( MOFEP) to render apology to the traders association.”_
GIFF clarified that it supports innovation at the ports. _“We are not against revenue generation, or technology enhancement to our business but we are against revenue extortion,”_ Agyeman stressed.
He cited the Customs Act 891 (2015), Section 68, which defines how valuation should be done. Agyeman questioned directives from the Commissioner-General that the AI’s value should be used if it gives a higher figure, but ignored if it gives a lower value than the officers’ assessment.
They are only interested in the revenue,” he said.
The Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority are yet to respond to GIFF’s claims regarding the Publican AI rollout and stakeholder engagements.
