Customs revenue collected at Ghana’s Tema Port more than doubled following the introduction of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), rising from about GH¢500 million–GH¢600 million a month to between GH¢1.2 billion and GH¢1.4 billion, according to the World Bank.
The sharp increase followed the rollout of ICUMS in April 2020 and has been linked to improved compliance, reduced revenue leakages and greater efficiency in Customs operations.
The figures are contained in the World Bank’s 10th Ghana Economic Update, titled Reset for Growth: Sustaining Macroeconomic Recovery and Unlocking Transport for Transformation, published in August 2026.
The report compared Customs revenue performance during the 15 months before ICUMS, from January 2019 to March 2020, with collections recorded after the system became operational.
Before the digital platform was introduced, monthly Customs revenue at the port generally ranged between GH¢500 million and GH¢600 million. In April 2020, the first month of ICUMS operations, collections rose to about GH¢1.2 billion.
Between April and December that year, monthly revenue remained significantly above the pre-ICUMS levels, fluctuating between approximately GH¢1.2 billion and GH¢1.4 billion.
According to the World Bank, government data showed that Customs revenue supported by the system continued to average about GH¢1.2 billion per month, with cumulative collections exceeding GH¢120 billion during ICUMS’ first five years through 2025.
The Bank attributed the improvement largely to stronger compliance and fewer opportunities for importers and other actors to under-declare goods, evade payments or manipulate Customs procedures.
ICUMS, operated by Ghana Link Network Services Ltd, brought together Customs, trade facilitation and security processes that had previously been handled manually or through separate systems.
The digital platform has reduced human intervention in several stages of the clearance process while making it easier for Customs officers to scrutinise declarations, verify documents and process consignments.
The World Bank noted that the system has also made document falsification more difficult and contributed to greater transparency and shorter clearance times.
Technology has further strengthened Customs’ ability to inspect cargo. Operations at the ports increasingly rely on non-intrusive inspection tools, including X-ray systems, GAMA systems, trans-infrared spectroscopy, field Raman spectroscopy and backscatter technology.
These systems allow officers to assess the contents and potential risks of consignments without necessarily opening containers, helping Customs identify suspicious cargo while speeding up the clearance of legitimate goods.
The reforms have also introduced a risk-based approach to Customs inspections. Traders are assigned to different channels based on their compliance records, with those considered higher risk facing more stringent checks and highly compliant businesses receiving faster processing.
The Blue Channel, for instance, provides trusted traders with arrangements that can allow their goods to be released before they arrive at the port.
The World Bank said the approach allows Customs to focus its enforcement resources on transactions considered to pose greater risks while rewarding businesses with strong compliance records.
Digitalisation has also improved the movement of cargo through the Tema Port. The World Bank said the combination of the Single Window System and Truck Appointment System has helped reduce container turnaround time at Terminal 3 to about three days, an improvement compared with the wider West African regional average.
For businesses, faster clearance can mean lower demurrage and other port-related costs, less pressure on working capital and greater predictability within supply chains.
For government, the increased use of automation provides an opportunity to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation by reducing avenues for smuggling, under-declaration, corruption and other forms of revenue leakage.
The gains are particularly important as Ghana seeks to increase domestic revenue without depending heavily on higher taxes or additional borrowing.
The World Bank’s assessment suggests that the Tema experience could provide a model for extending digital reforms to other ports and border entry points across the country.
The challenge now is to determine whether the efficiency, compliance and revenue gains recorded at Tema can be sustained and replicated across Ghana’s wider transport, logistics and border-management system.
The experience shows that the value of Customs digitalisation goes beyond faster processing. By bringing revenue collection, risk management, inspection and trade facilitation into a more integrated system, ICUMS has strengthened both the movement of goods and the government’s ability to protect public revenue.
