Ghana’s Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) has developed a data platform that could position the country as a key player in the global revenue assurance industry, projected to reach $18.93 billion by 2034.
Supply chain expert Professor Douglas Boateng described the technology as “a generational innovation” for Africa’s industrial governance during SML’s fifth-anniversary event.
The real-time monitoring system, already implemented in Ghana’s petroleum sector, has increased taxable fuel volume tracking from 208 million to 450 million litres monthly since 2020. This has contributed over GH¢20 billion in additional tax revenue, according to operational data. The Ghana Revenue Authority and a KPMG audit have acknowledged the system’s effectiveness in reducing leakage.
Professor Boateng emphasized the platform’s potential for continental adoption: “Imagine this Ghanaian-built technology deployed across Zambia’s copper mines or Nigeria’s oil terminals.” He noted the system’s unique position as the only scaled, real-time data capture platform in an emerging economy.
While praising the technology’s capabilities, Boateng acknowledged ongoing debates about SML’s government contracts, stressing the need for transparent risk-reward frameworks. An international academic consortium is forming to study the innovation, involving Ghana’s University of Mines and Technology and global partners.
The revenue assurance market is growing at 11.5% annually, driven by increasing financial complexity. Ghana’s domestic development of such technology marks a rare case of African innovation in this sector rather than foreign tech adoption.
