Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has announced that government’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customs reforms have increased monthly customs revenue by about 17%, attributing the improvement to stronger compliance, enhanced enforcement and reduced revenue leakages.

Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, Dr Forson said government had moved beyond traditional tax measures by deploying AI and other digital technologies to improve customs administration and boost revenue mobilisation.

“Since the introduction of the AI-powered customs reforms, monthly customs revenue has increased by approximately 17%, reflecting stronger compliance, more effective enforcement, and significantly reduced leakages,” he told Parliament.

The Finance Minister also disclosed that government had amended the use of the Tax Refund Account to ensure that funds meant for legitimate tax refunds were not diverted for other purposes.

“We amended the misuse of the Tax Refund Account to ensure that resources intended for legitimate tax refunds were no longer used as a slush fund,” he said.

Dr Forson said the reforms had contributed to improved fiscal performance despite government’s decision to abolish some taxes and refrain from introducing new ones.

He noted that non-oil tax revenue increased by 0.5 percentage points of GDP, rising from 12.6% in 2024 to 13.1% in 2025.

According to him, the figures show that government has been able to improve domestic revenue mobilisation through efficiency-driven reforms rather than increasing the tax burden on citizens.

“Simply put, government collected more taxes in 2025 even after abolishing the nuisance taxes, including the E-Levy,” he stated.

Dr Forson added that the experience demonstrates that effective policies, improved compliance and smarter administration provide a more sustainable approach to revenue generation than simply increasing taxes.

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