The Singapore Parliament voted to tighten the law on transboundary atmospheric pollution. These changes introduce harsher fines, the possibility of detentions, and potential restrictions for companies involved in forest fires.
These amendments, which are expected to pass easily, emerged after several weeks of air pollution caused by fires in neighboring Indonesia. The situation sparked dissatisfaction among Singapore residents and demands for action.
Minister for Sustainable Development and the Environment, Grace Fu, stated that 'we need better ways to obtain and verify information, track complex links between companies, and impose significant consequences on organizations that behave improperly.'
The city-state adopted a law in 2014 regulating transboundary smoke pollution, but its application was complicated by jurisdictional disputes and difficulties in gathering evidence abroad.
The government was under pressure to strengthen existing measures as dense toxic smoke from fires raging for months on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra spread across the region, affecting Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
The proposed measures include detentions for violating the law, allowing courts to hear cases in the absence of the accused if they are abroad or cannot be located.
Fines are set to increase tenfold, reaching nearly $800,000 (711,000 euros) per day for companies found to be in violation.
The government will also gain the right to compel companies, at their own expense, to appoint independent inspectors to investigate fires, commercial activities, and inter-company relationships.
Under current legislation, Singapore has already sent notifications to 10 companies, requiring them to mobilize firefighting teams, cease all burning, and submit action plans.
Fires in Indonesia, exacerbated by the El Niño climate phenomenon during severe drought, destroyed over 1.9 million hectares in the first nine months of the year, according to the Nusantara Atlas deforestation monitoring organization.
