3 S’pore firms to cooperate with authorities after getting haze law notices

SINGAPORE – Three of the 10 Singapore-based firms issued legal notices under the Republic’s haze law have said they will cooperate with the authority’s requests for information on their links to fires in Indonesia.

As at 2pm on Oct 24, Wilmar International, Bumitama Agri and First Resources declared in filings on the Singapore Exchange that they have received the notices and intend to comply.

Wilmar International was the first to announce its plan to comply with the directive from the National Environment Agency (NEA) close to midnight on Oct 23. This was about three hours after the agency first announced that it had issued the legal notices.

Wilmar’s spokesperson later told ST that it is working to provide the relevant documents and information, and will provide more information when there are material updates.

First Resources said in its filing at 1.15am on Oct 24 that it has agreed to provide the necessary details. It was signed off by its secretary Victor Lai Kuan Loong.

Subsequently, Bumitama Agri and its subsidiaries said in a filing at 1.15pm on Oct 24 that the company will provide the requested documents and information to NEA. It was signed off by executive chairman and chief executive Lim Gunawan Hariyanto.

The other seven companies have not responded to requests for comment on the notices. They are:

• Asia Pulp & Paper Company

• Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China)

• Golden Agri International

• Indofood Agri Resources

• Kencana Agri

• TSH Global Plantation

• TSH Oversea

The three firms’ response came after NEA announced at 9pm on Oct 23 that it had issued notices against 10 Singapore-based companies under Section 10 of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA).

Through the notices, the NEA is seeking comprehensive details about the links to associated firms, information about their land concessions, fire prevention measures as well as the active firefighting efforts undertaken by these firms or their associated companies on the ground.

Representatives from non-compliant firms face a fine of up to $5,000, a jail term of up to one month, or both.

The 10 firms either own land concessions in Indonesia or have related companies that do, NEA said.

The NEA’s latest move against the Singapore-registered companies – all of which operate in the oil palm or forestry sectors – marks an escalation of the Republic’s efforts against companies with links to the transboundary haze.

It had earlier asked 10 Indonesian companies for more information on their links to the fire.

It issued preventive measures notices to seven pulpwood companies based in Sumatra on Oct 16. On Oct 19, another three firms in Kalimantan were issued similar notices.

Preventive measures notices – issued under Section 9 of the THPA – inform firms to deploy firefighters and stop burning activities, as well as to submit to NEA action plans to extinguish any fires on their lands and prevent their recurrence. Non-compliance with notices issued under Section 9 of the law does not carry any penalties.

Under the Act, entities found guilty of causing or contributing to the haze can be fined up to $100,000 for every day the pollution persists, capped at a maximum of $2 million.

Senior Minister K. Shanmugam had on Oct 19 warned that errant firms will no longer be allowed to hide behind complex corporate structures or geographical borders to evade responsibility, with the Republic ready to use “every legal and regulatory lever” to confront them.

Aqil Hamzah is a transport journalist at The Straits Times. He is also interested in issues related to crime and technology.

Ang Qing is a journalist covering local and international breaking news at The Straits Times, with a focus on the environment, crime, technology and social issues.