Singapore may strengthen haze laws as three more Indonesian firms face notices

Singapore may strengthen its laws to secure cooperation from companies linked to haze, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said on Monday, 19 October, during a visit to Woodlands Checkpoint, according to CNA. Authorities also plan to issue preventive notices to three more Indonesian firms over fires in Kalimantan that may have contributed to haze in Singapore.

Shanmugam said the government could amend existing legislation or introduce new laws on an urgent basis if needed. He gave no timeline. Singapore would use legal, regulatory and economic measures against companies found responsible for the haze and maintain pressure after the haze passes, he said.

Three more firms face preventive notices

The notices would require the companies to deploy firefighting personnel, stop any ongoing burning, avoid new burning and submit plans to extinguish fires and prevent them from recurring. Fu said the agency would monitor their responses and consider further action where warranted, including fines or charges.

The planned notices would bring the number of firms targeted under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to 10. NEA announced preventive notices for seven Indonesian companies on 16 October after finding indications that smoke from fires on their concession lands could have moved towards Singapore.

How Singapore could increase pressure

Shanmugam said Singapore would examine links between concession holders, larger corporate groups and people who may ultimately control them. He cited investigations showing that Asia Pulp and Paper buys from three companies sent preventive notices by NEA. Any action against connected groups would depend on establishing those links, he said.

He also raised pressure on companies’ access to financing and their standing with investors. Firms cannot claim to be environmentally responsible while refusing scrutiny, he said: ‘Their claims must be backed by evidence, not just words.’ His criticism was directed at firms’ conduct generally, without a reported finding about any named company’s environmental claims.

Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act has been in force since 2014 and allows action against companies whose overseas activities cause or contribute to haze in Singapore, CNA reported. A company found guilty can be fined up to S$100,000 for each day or part of a day that haze persists, capped at S$2 million. The law also provides penalties for failing to comply with preventive notices.

The distinction between a notice and a finding of responsibility has mattered before: CNA reported that investigations into four companies served legal notices during the severe 2015 haze crisis were still ongoing. Fu said NEA would assess the effectiveness of its current measures as it considers further steps.