The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been called upon by the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) to strengthen its digital services and payment platforms to prevent disruptions to port operations. 

The association observed that recent breakdowns in government digital platforms, particularly the Ghana.gov platform at the port, had caused significant delays and financial losses to businesses. 

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Samson Asaki Awingobit, the Executive Director of the IEAG, said the platform was reportedly unavailable for about a week before service was restored. 

Mr Awingobit said the disruption affected businesses that relied on the digital system to undertake customs and other port-related transactions. 

He urged the GRA to invest in system resilience, regular maintenance, technical support, and contingency arrangements. 

He said reliable digital infrastructure was increasingly important as Ghana continued to adopt technology-driven systems for customs administration and trade facilitation. 

The IEAG stated that digital platforms should be designed to ensure that technical failures did not bring essential port and customs services to a standstill. 

It also urged authorities to establish effective backup systems that could allow critical transactions to continue during periods of technical failure. 

The Association indicated that improving digital reliability would complement ongoing reforms aimed at making Ghana’s ports more efficient and reducing the cost of doing business. 

Touching on other business issues, the IEAG commended the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) for their contribution towards improving foreign exchange and economic stability. 

It said relative stability in the foreign exchange market had provided greater predictability for importers and exporters and enabled businesses to plan their international transactions with more confidence. 

The Association said GoldBod’s gold trading policies had helped strengthen Ghana’s foreign exchange position and improve access to foreign exchange for legitimate business activities. 

It further commended the Bank of Ghana for its measures to maintain macroeconomic and financial stability, noting that the reduction in interest rates was particularly encouraging for businesses that depend on credit to finance their operations. 

The IEAG cited the Bank of Ghana’s Financial Stability Review, which indicated that the average lending rate declined from 30.3 per cent in December 2024 to 20.5 per cent in December 2025. 

It said continued reductions in the cost of credit would provide relief to importers and exporters who required working capital to purchase goods and meet international trade obligations. 

It urged GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana to sustain and deepen measures that supported foreign exchange stability and reduced the cost of borrowing. 

The IEAG stated that such measures were particularly important ahead of the Yuletide period, when demand for foreign exchange, credit, and imported goods was expected to increase.