The Minister for Transport, Joseph Nikpe Bukari, is scheduled to meet with leaders of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) on Thursday, April 16, to resolve concerns about the implementation of the Publican AI system used to clear goods at Ghana’s ports.
The planned talks come amid growing tension in the trading and logistics sector, following a directive by GUTA that prompted freight forwarders and clearing agents to embark on a sit-down strike on Monday, April 13, in protest against the new system.
The aggrieved operators argue that the rollout of the Publican AI platform has not been accompanied by adequate consultation or clarity, raising concerns about its impact on port operations and trade facilitation.
Speaking to Citi FM after a meeting with the Ghana Shippers Authority on Monday, April 13, GUTA Vice President Joseph Paddy explained that the association had requested a temporary suspension of the system pending further engagement with the transport ministry.
“Beyond the sit-down strike by our agents, there are so many programmes and activities we want to embark on.
“We also told the chief executive officer that the programme should be suspended, but he gave us assurance that the transport minister was interested in this thing, but he has unfortunately travelled, and so we should give him two days.
“He will be meeting us on Thursday in the morning as soon as possible to solve all the challenges,” he said.
The introduction of the Publican AI system is intended to improve efficiency and transparency in the clearance of imports, but has faced resistance from key industry players who continue to call for broader stakeholder engagement before full implementation.
