Three Singapore-registered companies say they will comply with NEA's haze notices

SINGAPORE: Three companies that received notices from the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act on Friday (Oct 23) have said they will comply with requests for documents and information.

Wilmar International, First Resources and Bumitama Agri were among 10 Singapore-registered firms served notices as part of NEA's efforts to address transboundary haze pollution, marking the first time the agency has done so since the Act took effect.

In a filing on Saturday, First Resources said it was reviewing the notice and “will provide the requested documents and information to NEA in accordance with the requirements set out therein”.

First Resources also said it would monitor the matter and make further announcements where appropriate if there were material developments.

Wilmar said in a filing on Friday that work was underway to comply with its notice, while Bumitama said on Saturday that it would provide the requested documents and information. Both said they would make further announcements if there were material developments. 

The 10 firms are required to furnish NEA with information about their links with associated companies in Singapore and Indonesia, the locations of their land concessions, and their fire prevention measures and any firefighting efforts during the dry season.

The seven other companies that received notices on Friday were:

• Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Company
• Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China)
• Golden Agri International
• Indofood Agri Resources
• Kencana Agri
• TSH Global Plantation
• TSH Oversea

They have not responded to CNA’s requests for comment sent on Friday.

All 10 Singapore-registered companies are in the palm oil or forestry business and own land concessions in Indonesia or have related companies with such land concessions, NEA said.

Before Friday, NEA had only issued notices to companies not listed on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's BizFile portal.

NEA’s latest move follows Senior Minister K Shanmugam’s warning that Singapore would use every legal, regulatory and economic lever at its disposal against companies responsible for the haze.

Several of the firms served with notices on Friday had already been questioned by the Singapore Exchange (SGX) or flagged by non-profit organisations in recent weeks.

SGX had sent queries to Bumitama Agri, Golden Agri-Resources, First Resources, Kencana Agri, Wilmar International, Indofood Agri Resources and TSH Resources.

Queries were also sent to TSH Resources, which owns TSH Global Plantation and TSH Oversea.

Earlier this week, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) said APP, an Indonesian paper firm that is registered in Singapore, has been placed under temporary green certification restrictions after three of its wood-fibre suppliers were linked to fires in Indonesia that caused haze.

APP is required to make daily fire response reports and will be subject to strict monitoring to ensure effective fire prevention and suppression for the land areas managed by its suppliers.