Antonio Antomoli is the President of the African Diamond Manufacturers Association (ADMA). He is a professional focused on the diamond industry, with diverse qualifications and skills such as rough and cut diamond valuation, team leadership, international negotiation specialist and business connection.
Antonio Antomoli is also the CEO of Antomoli Diamond, LDA, a company focused on polishing, Diamond valuation, business connection and business consulting in the mining industry. Leadership, strategies and organizational problem solving have been his main characteristics in the business world.
A leader with undisputed ability to lead African delegations to the largest jewellery events in the world (such as JGT DUBAI), with the great objective of promoting the internationalization of African brands or companies, giving them more opportunities for networking and expansion.
Here, in an exclusive Interview with Rough & Polished, Antonio Antomoli elaborates on ADMA’s activities, focusing on its long-term goals, which includes sustainable growth for its members...
Some excerpts:
Tell us about you being designated as President of the African Diamond Manufacturers Association? How do you aim to strengthen the organisation to achieve its objectives towards the members? What's the total number of members now?
I am honored to have been appointed to a position with so much responsibility that I believe is directly related to my professional career and leadership ability.
As President, I must say that the ADMA has very well-defined long-term goals and strategies that will allow us to achieve the objectives that we have set for our members primarily focusing on more representation before governments, in trade engagements, qualified training and facilitating the acquisition of cutting- edge technology that will benefit our members and keep up to the modern standards in manufacturing.
For ADMA, sustainable growth for all of its members is of high priority.
Please tell us about the ADMA, it's activities and major efforts put forth till date to help diamond manufacturers optimise their growth? Please provide details...
African Diamond Manufacturers Association, is a nonprofit trade association that represent institutions, oversees, protects, advocates and preserves the rights, transaction practices, meeting financial obligations, building and maintaining trust relationship in diamond manufacturers' operations ecosystem in all African diamond producing countries.
We are an organization that aims to create a conducive and inclusive diamonds business environment across the value chain. ADMA is focused on materializing the strategic plan of technological partnership for certain factories of its members, negotiating the possibility of exemption from duties or taxes for import of processing equipment that will undoubtedly give a comfort differentiated to investors, entrepreneurs and even the State itself.
In partnership with the African Diamond Council, we are working on a plan for the constant and sustainable supply of diamonds from producers to factories, in order to ensure the proper functioning and balance of investments to be made or already made by all those who intend to operate on the African continent.
For ADMA, it is extremely important that the African market is increasingly qualified in terms of know-how, substantially increasing the number of experts in the cutting, evaluation and trade of diamonds; for this reason, ADMA has invested in strategic training partnerships between factories and vocational training institutions in these areas.
In what aspects of business/related fields does ADMA help or support diamond manufacturers? What steps are being taken by the Association in terms of creating a better business environment for the whole of Africa?
For any institution operating in Africa in the area of diamond polishing and jewelry, ADMA is an ideal partner to associate with because it protects the interests of its members before governmental and international trade institutions which impose industry expectations and regulations without extensive and inclusive consultations with African bodies active on the ground.
We at the ADMA preserve the right to oversee, and encourage vigorously the issue of human rights prioritization for workers in our member institutions be it political, civil or societal. A conducive environment impacts positive productivity and success which is what ADMA thrives for.
According to you, what’s the position of diamond businesses in Africa’s? Do you have any suggestions to strengthen the diamond industry's position with other countries?
ADMA is aware of the great challenges faced by the entire industry, from extraction, stoning, to reaching the final product that somehow impacts the price and appreciation of the final product. We have been working on a long-term strategy that aims to join forces between government and private institutions with the aim of making significant progress in improving the conditions for an entire value chain.
Clearly, the consumer issue is a point of extreme importance for ADMA, thus ensuring that the objectives outlined are properly aligned with the quality needs and social impact of our products. Looking mainly at our communities, which in a way contribute to the comfortable business environment for companies, it is important to point out that there are charitable programs properly designed for their benefit, aiming at corporate social responsibility. An educated society, prosperous and secure businesses.
Well, it is visible that a great effort has been made in investments of infrastructure, roads, schools and especially public-private policies like implementation of modern internet infrastructure in a certain way tends to benefit business relations, though I believe that the efforts made to date, can be improved, given the point that our governments have the clear intention to expand further and mainly make businesses more sustainable at the level of the continent. The strategic public-private cooperation between African countries unified can provide a sustainable growth of the businesses to be carried out on the continent.
The strategic unification of African diamond producing countries could positively impact the African business ecosystem, ensuring promising businesses with sustainable policies and governance. Certainly, with an increasingly promising and comfortable business environment, the negotiating positions between African institutions and those in various other parts of the world should balance considerably equally.
KP has discussed the definition change of ‘blood/conflict’ diamonds and the ‘principles of responsible sourcing’, but no conclusions reached till today. Your thoughts?
I'm sure KP has done a great job over the years since its inception. It has created laws that have somehow allowed the industry to build a relationship of trust and sincerity between the producer and the final consumer. But it is important to remember that evolving times require us to be dynamic, innovative and adaptable.
What we did yesterday is of no use to us today if the circumstances are now different; the supposed ‘Conflict Diamonds’. There are several factors that require a deep analysis of the KP’s ‘Conflict Diamonds’ definition, notably as to who contributes to its formulation and updating based on the current dynamics experienced today mainly in Africa.
The Kimberley Process definition must be heavily reliant on research, analysis and data gathering from various African bodies such as the African Diamond Council, ADMA and others with the capacity to arrive at a well informed and dynamic definition of what entails a ‘Conflict Diamond’ at this particular juncture.
I believe that the KP and the African governments have more than enough reasons to update this denomination, and reinvent it by diligently looking at the impact it has on both sides of the value chain with impartiality.
Many Indian companies have established diamond manufacturing units in Africa. How has this trend helped in the progress of the African countries? Do you see them as ‘partners in progress’?
Africa is a continent with an invaluable wealth of natural and human resources; and certainly, a continent open to exploring the possibilities of working in partnership with various institutions and/or people from different parts of the world for a common benefit. I support any intention to join forces and resources between organizations or governments from other continents to African countries, working together for the exploitation and transformation of the infinite natural resources present on the continent for mutual benefit.
As long as there is a balance between investment countries and investors, ADMA will continue to support and encourage presence of international companies be they Indian, Belgian, UAE, Israeli, Swiss, Chinese, etc., to the African market.
Does ADMA intend to set right the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) which is viewed as a territory that is taken advantage of regarding diamond values for export etc.? What steps should be taken to increase revenue for CAR? Your opinion?
We all know that Central African Republic is a country with immense potential and has fed the world with a part of its precious stones. It is essential to emphasize that the positioning of the country in certain situations determines the natural course of the business environment in that region.
ADMA believes that the legislative conditions should be decisive for the balance of the situation in the CAR. The government plays a decisive role in transforming this scenario, which will certainly ensure a different comfort for potential investors and thus have an increasingly organized and sustainable market.
It is important for African public institutions to realize the value of creating sustainable laws that benefit the country and the investor in the long run. And I ensure that ADMA will always be open to support such processes in any of our member countries.
Africa now talks a lot about transforming its own resources. Why is it important to cut or transform diamonds locally?
It must be indisputable that the production capacity of a continent like Africa must be equated/equal to its processing capacity.
The process towards local transformation, has been a slow but remarkable process, our governments have increasingly thought of different strategies aimed at increasing the productive capacity of African countries.
Partnerships are created so that somehow we can observe the fruits of them, but it is important that in this phase of global transition, Africa realizes the importance of accelerating the process of mass transformation at full throttle, creating policies that allow for the creation of more factories or processing units and the most important government financial support for local entrepreneurs, so as to balance the negotiations between the entrepreneur and the potential investor.
Every country capable of producing diamonds, must bet on the training and know-how of its citizens to be able to transform these diamonds into a final product, which will impact the entire value chain and obviously maximize profits.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
