A coalition of traders and freight operators, including the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA), has suspended its planned industrial action after fresh engagements with government yielded some concessions.
The decision was reached after a meeting on April 16, 2026, between the Joint Business Forum and officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), where concerns over the Publican AI system dominated discussions.
Business leaders had pushed for the system to be halted, alongside demands for the restoration of the previous valuation appeals process, full transparency on the system’s operations, and clarity on the composition of a proposed multi-party oversight committee.
While government declined to suspend the Publican AI system, it agreed to reinstate the old appeals structure and ensure a 24-hour turnaround time for resolving valuation disputes. Authorities also approved an expansion of the appeals committee from six to twelve members.
Both sides further agreed to jointly develop the terms of reference for the multi-party committee at a follow-up meeting scheduled for April 20.
Despite these concessions, the coalition said it remains dissatisfied with key aspects of the outcome, particularly the refusal to halt the AI system and the limited disclosure of its technical and contractual details. Government, however, indicated that stakeholders would be allowed to engage operators and assess the system’s functionality.
The group emphasised that the suspension of its strike action is temporary and warned that further steps will depend on the outcome of ongoing negotiations, insisting that broader consultation and transparency remain critical to ensuring fairness in the trading sector.
