The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) plans to deploy advanced blockchain technology to tackle widespread abuse of Import Declaration Forms (IDFs), Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong has announced.
Speaking at the KPMG–UNDP 2026 Post-Budget Forum in Accra, themed Resetting for Growth, Jobs and Economic Transformation, Mr. Sarpong revealed that a five-year study uncovered massive misuse of IDFs, with more than $45 billion moved out of Ghana, of which only about $7 billion was linked to genuine trade.
“People go in, fill IDF forms which shows intent to import, and therefore they take it to the bank. The bank will transfer money as an advance for the import, the goods do not come back, the money do not come back,” he explained.
To address this, the GRA will invest in an Advanced Cargo Information system embedded with blockchain technology.
The system will link IDF applications to the actual movement of goods, allowing authorities to track whether imported funds correspond to real shipments.
Information will be shared with the banking system within three months of a transaction, enabling swift detection of irregularities.
Mr. Sarpong emphasised that the GRA will take action against those exploiting the system. “We will definitely come after those who are wanting in those areas,” he said.
The move echoes findings from the Finance Minister’s 2026 Budget assessment, which highlighted that between April 2020 and August 2025, over 525,000 transactions amounting to about $83 billion were processed through Ghana’s Integrated Customs Management System.
Only a fraction of these transactions were linked to actual imports, with an estimated $31 billion transferred abroad without goods entering the country.
The audit also revealed under-declared import values hiding about GH¢76 billion in imports and over 17,700 transactions exceeding the Bank of Ghana’s $200,000 limit, resulting in roughly $20 billion in unverified transfers.
The GRA plans to establish a special recovery unit to reclaim lost revenue, while authorities including the Attorney-General, EOCO, FIC, and CID have been engaged to investigate organised abuse of the IDF system.
