The Singapore Parliament on Wednesday approved new amendments to strengthen the anti-pollution law, which include arrest powers, increased fines, and the ability to impose restrictions on companies related to air pollution from fires. These changes come after weeks of air pollution caused by fires in neighboring Indonesia, which led to public dissatisfaction in Singapore.
Strengthening the Cross-Border Air Pollution Law
Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, emphasized, "We need better ways to obtain and verify information, track complex corporate relationships, and impose meaningful consequences on offending entities. We must also be able to intervene in a timely manner before pollution from fires reaches Singapore. Therefore, we need to strengthen our laws and act swiftly."
Singapore enacted the cross-border air pollution law in 2014, but its enforcement has faced legal hurdles and difficulties in obtaining evidence from abroad. Of the six cases filed under this law in 2015, two were closed in 2017, and four investigations remain open.
New Fines and Restrictions
The proposed changes make offenses under this law arrestable and allow courts to try defendants in their absence. Fines for non-compliant companies will increase tenfold, reaching nearly $800,000 per day, while the maximum fine will rise to over $15.6 million. Additionally, the government may require companies to appoint independent assessors at their own expense to review fires, business operations, and corporate relationships.
Officials may also impose restrictions on designated companies, including limiting their access to Singapore's major financial services industry. Companies that attribute fires to third parties must demonstrate that they have taken reasonable measures to prevent and address fires. This bill has been approved as urgent, allowing for swift discussion and voting.
Simon Tay, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, stated that restricting trade and financing for companies involved in fires would turn them into "corporate pariahs." However, he added that "there is no magic solution" and cooperation with ASEAN member countries and Indonesia is also essential.
Under existing law, Singapore has already warned 10 foreign companies to employ firefighters, cease burning, and submit their operational plans. Additionally, 10 registered companies in Singapore have been ordered to appoint assessors. Fires in Indonesia have burned over 1.9 million hectares from the beginning of the year to the end of September, most of which occurred in recent months.
