The annual budget presentation in Ghana is not just about figures, policies, and economic forecasts—it also comes with an iconic accessory: the Finance Minister’s briefcase.
This year, however, a historic shift has captured public attention. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, has become the first to carry a locally made handcrafted leather briefcase, a move that signifies more than just a fashion statement.
“This was no ordinary bag,” Hon. Forson wrote on X. It is The Horseman Minimalist Handmade Leather Briefcase, a product of Ghanaian excellence, designed by celebrated shoemaker Tonyi Senayah’s Horseman
Over the years, the likes of Former Finance Ministers including Seth Terkper and Ken Ofori-Atta have walked into Parliament holding their own significant briefcases, each carrying the weight of the nation’s economic direction.
But the 2025 budget’s brown leather case is a meticulously crafted briefcase which has already become a topic of discussion, not just for its design but for the powerful message it conveys: a commitment to promoting Ghanaian made products.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this unique brown briefcase holds the fate of government machinery, with every policy, allocation, and economic priority for the coming year locked within its compartments.
It now joins the historic collection of budget briefcases that have passed through the corridors of the Finance Ministry.
As Ghanaians await the details of the 2025 budget, one thing is certain—the legacy of the brown handcrafted briefcase will live on in the country’s economic history.
By Ruth Sekyi – ABC News GH
