Panels & Furniture Asia May/June 2020
Panels & Furniture Asia (PFA) is a leading regional trade magazine dedicated to the woodbased panel, furniture and flooring processing industry. Published bi-monthly since 2000, PFA delivers authentic journalism to cover the latest news, technology, machinery, projects, products and trade events throughout the sector. With a hardcopy and digital readership comprising manufacturers, designers and specifiers, among others, PFA is the platform of choice for connecting brands across the global woodworking landscape.
Panels & Furniture Asia (PFA) is a leading regional trade magazine dedicated to the woodbased panel, furniture and flooring processing industry. Published bi-monthly since 2000, PFA delivers authentic journalism to cover the latest news, technology, machinery, projects, products and trade events throughout the sector. With a hardcopy and digital readership comprising manufacturers, designers and specifiers, among others, PFA is the platform of choice for connecting brands across the global woodworking landscape.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>May</strong> / <strong>June</strong> <strong>2020</strong>, Issue 3 | <strong>Panels</strong> & <strong>Furniture</strong> <strong>Asia</strong> MATERIALS | 45<br />
Ready-to-use sheds are provided in Gabon SEZ’s <strong>Furniture</strong> Manufacturing Cluster for furniture manufacturers to kickstart production quickly<br />
CHANGE HAS JUST BEGUN<br />
Gabonese Republic had banned exports of raw logs in 2010.<br />
Thereafter, to facilitate the secondary and tertiary processing<br />
of timber within the country, Gabonese Republic has developed<br />
1126 hectares SEZ at Nkok in partnership with Olam International,<br />
Singapore to provide ready and reliable infrastructure. Gabon<br />
SEZ offers an array fiscal incentives to industrial investors which<br />
includes complete exemption from all taxes (income tax, corporate<br />
tax, capital gain, MAT, VAT, customs, Property Tax), reduced rate<br />
of export duty (0-2 per cent) and permission for 100 per cent<br />
repatriation of profits.<br />
GABON WOOD HUB: FIRST FURNITURE MANUFACTURING<br />
CLUSTER IN CENTRAL AFRICA<br />
Nkok SEZ also has 60,000 square metres of ready-to-use sheds<br />
as <strong>Furniture</strong> Manufacturing Cluster to promote manufacturing of<br />
finished products i.e. furniture in Gabon. Such sheds are provided<br />
on rental model in module of 500 m 2 to furniture manufacturers<br />
intending to start their unit in the <strong>Furniture</strong> Manufacturing Cluster.<br />
The cluster also offers common facilities like:<br />
Kiln Drying: With a dedicated 1000 m 2 per month capacity, kiln<br />
dryers are installed to serve furniture manufacturing units.<br />
Show Room: A show room of over 3000 m 2 can provide the space to<br />
showcase furniture manufactured in the cluster.<br />
Packaging and Logistics: 2000 m 2 of packaging and 4000 m 2 of<br />
logistics facility are available within the cluster for customs clearance.<br />
As of now, there are 12 units working from this cluster. The quality of<br />
raw material i.e. wood available and huge variety of wood species found<br />
in Gabon is a unique opportunity for any furniture manufacturing unit.<br />
Matured wood of any size, any length is available in good quantity on<br />
sustainable basis. <strong>Furniture</strong> Units are starting manufacturing of upscale<br />
furniture for customers in <strong>Asia</strong>n, European and the U.S. markets. <strong>Furniture</strong><br />
majors like Wolf Mobile from Germany; Artemano from Canada; Terry as<br />
well as Williams-Sonoma from the U.S.; Habufa from Netherland, have<br />
expressed their interest to buy furniture manufactured from sustainably<br />
harvested wood available in Africa. Solid wood furniture made from<br />
various wood species like Beli, Tali, Sapeli, Mouvingui, Wenge, Padouck<br />
and Kevazingo is of pertinent interest to many furniture majors.<br />
Moreover, major import houses in the U.S. and Europe have taken a resolution<br />
to source minimum 30 per cent of furniture done with SFM compliant / FSC<br />
certified wood by <strong>2020</strong> and this SFM compliant / FSC certified wood with<br />
genuine Traceability and Legality certificates is easily available in Gabon.<br />
For business, investment and trade enquiries, please get in touch with<br />
team of GSEZ at gsez@olamnet.com or at +24102001086. P<br />
All images are credited to Gabon SEZ.
Change language