The Ghana Union of Traders’ Association and other business groups have suspended their planned industrial action after securing concessions from government over concerns surrounding the Publican AI system.
The decision followed a meeting between the Joint Business Forum, the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority, where trade groups pushed for changes to the current valuation and appeals process.
Although government declined to suspend the Publican AI system, officials agreed to restore the previous valuation appeals process and ensure that disputes are resolved within 24 hours.
Government also agreed to expand the appeals committee from six to 12 members and work jointly with business groups to develop the terms of reference for a proposed multi-party committee.
The business coalition, however, remains dissatisfied with government’s refusal to suspend the Publican AI system and provide full disclosure of its technical and contractual details.
Instead, government proposed that concerns about the system be addressed through the new committee and through direct engagement with its operators.
Despite the unresolved issues, the trade groups described the latest engagement as more productive than previous discussions and said the concessions were enough to pause the planned strike action for now.
The coalition stressed that the industrial action has only been suspended, not cancelled, and warned that further action could be taken if upcoming talks fail to address their concerns.
The groups insist that broader transparency and stakeholder consultation are necessary to ensure fairness and stability in Ghana’s trading environment.
