The Ghana Union of Traders Association has warned of a possible increase in the prices of goods and services due to high charges at the ports.
Speaking on Nnawotwe Yi on Adom TV, the President of the Association, Clement Boateng, said authorities have introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI) in calculating and determining duties on goods at the port.
He explained that, in addition to the AI-based calculations, officers at the port also conduct manual assessments of goods, resulting in discrepancies in the final charges.
According to him, in some instances, the AI-generated figures are higher than those calculated manually, and in other cases, the reverse is true.
Mr. Boateng noted that this process sometimes leads to importers being charged twice for the same goods.
He further stated that the situation has worsened following a directive from the Ghana Revenue Authority, which instructed officers not to charge below the AI-calculated amounts. However, in cases where the AI figures are lower, officers are directed to apply the higher manual estimates.
Clement Boateng warned that if the situation persists, traders will be forced to increase the prices of goods, with consumers ultimately bearing the cost.
