焦点 JNA July/August 2023 | 17 The region likewise holds an advantage in raw material sourcing, logistics, training institutions and gemmological services, with the presence of reputable laboratories in the region, shared Damrongsakul, who is also managing director of Thailand-based Gemopolis – a 25-hectare industrial zone dedicated to the jewellery manufacturing industry. Since its inception in 1990, Gemopolis has consistently attracted foreign investors wanting to set up manufacturing facilities in Thailand. The massive industrial estate currently houses more than 300 jewellers, over 95 per cent of which are from 29 overseas destinations. These include Europe, India, the US, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Gemopolis is also expanding – a testament to dazzling opportunities in the jewellery sector in Southeast Asia. The group is constructing two freezone projects in a 15,000-sqm area devoted to small- and medium-sized companies and some larger entities. “This space will also offer facilities for trading and workshops, not just manufacturing,” Damrongsakul told JNA. “The new zones will be completed by end-2023 and investors can move in and start operations by March 2024. We continue to develop the infrastructure, transportation and services in Gemopolis to serve newcomers.” Ermin Siow, advisor of the Federation of Goldsmiths and Jewellers Association of Malaysia, likewise attested to the growing importance of ASEAN in the global jewellery and gemstone sector. And Malaysia is among the region’s leading players. According to Siow, Malaysia produces mostly plain gold jewellery, which comprises 80 per cent of its total jewellery production. Of this, 90 per cent is 22-karat gold jewellery. It also manufactures gem-set pieces with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls and jade. The country exports the majority of the jewellery it produces to the Middle East, Singapore and Hong Kong. This year, it expects a 5 per cent growth in gross domestic product, which adds to its competitiveness as a market. Malaysia also does not impose goods and services and value added taxes and import duties for gold and jewellery. “Malaysia is the fourth largest jewellery market in ASEAN, behind Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. We are also business-friendly, but the market is small. To be successful, you need to find the right partner,” added Siow. “We also conduct two to three jewellery shows a year as a way for potential buyers to get to know the Malaysian market.” The Philippines, meanwhile, offers business opportunities for those looking to take advantage of its growing domestic jewellery market. According to Mia Florencio, president of The Guild of Philippine Jewelry Inc, working with the right partner is key to succeeding in the Philippine jewellery sector. She added that the local sector is suffering from the loss of skilled talents to destinations like the Middle East and China. “This also presents an opportunity for foreign suppliers to tie up with Philippine companies to sell locally. There is a big domestic market in the Philippines,” Florencio said at a seminar on the sidelines of the first Jewellery & Gem ASIA Bangkok (JGAB) in April 2023. Around 680M 约6.8亿 Combined population of the 10 ASEAN members as of 2022, according to the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific 东盟10个成员国2022年的总人口，数据来自联合国 亚洲及太平洋经济社会委员会 Viandexdoc_Shutterstock.com Gold jewellery shop in Indonesia 印度尼西亚的金饰店
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