Singapore to amend haze law as 10 firms pledge to cooperate
What's next: Parliament is set to debate the changes on Nov. 3, including powers to force companies to appoint assessors or face an offense.
Singapore is moving to tighten its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act as it presses companies tied to the region's latest haze crisis to cooperate with investigators. Senior Minister K Shanmugam said after a meeting with corporate leaders on Oct. 28 that the firms agreed to work fully with the government, while Sustainability Minister Grace Fu said the law needs stronger tools to overcome cross-border evidence gaps and non-cooperation. The government plans to table amendments at the next parliamentary sitting on Nov. 3. The changes would give legal force to investigations by allowing the National Environment Agency to require companies to appoint assessors, with refusal becoming an offense. At least 20 firms in Singapore and Indonesia have received legal notices during the current haze episode.