NEA issues notices to three more companies in Indonesia over haze role

SINGAPORE – Three more companies have been issued with notices under Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, bringing the total number of firms targeted by the Act to 10.

The three companies in Indonesia are Buana Megatama Jaya, Mananjung Hayak and Baratama Putra Perkasa, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Oct 19. 

Mananjung Hayak is a palm oil plantation, while Baratama Putra Perkasa and Buana Megatama Jaya are pulp plantations.  

NEA said there are indications that smoke from fires in Kalimantan had spread to Singapore, from lands held via concessions under the three firms. 

The Preventive Measure Notices issued will inform the companies to: deploy firefighters to extinguish or prevent the spread of any fire on land owned or occupied by them; discontinue or not start any burning activities; and submit to NEA action plans to extinguish any fires on their lands and prevent their recurrence.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu earlier revealed that the initial seven companies responsible for haze-causing fires in Sumatra were identified by analyzing satellite imagery and meteorological data on regional hotspots and smoke plumes

The seven companies identified on Oct 16 were: Bumi Andalas Permai, Bumi Mekar Hijau, SBA Andalas Wood Industries, Paramitra Mulia Langgeng, Sumatera Alam Anugerah, Hutan Lestari Raya and Bangkanesia. 

Nine of the 10 identified so far are pulp plantations, while one is a palm oil plantation. 

Of the 10, four – namely Bumi Andalas Permai, Bumi Mekar Hijau, SBA Wood Industries and Buana Megatama Jaya –  have been identified as suppliers to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), part of the Sinar Mas conglomerate.

Indonesia’s largest pulp and paper company, APP was linked to the haze blanketing the region in 2015. 

Excluding Buana Megatama Jaya, three of the four received similar notices during the 2015 haze crisis, and their cases remain open. 

Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues.