Singapore proposes stronger investigative powers, stiffer penalties in expedited review of transboundary haze law
Status quo is no longer tenable, Grace Fu tells Parliament, as she moves to pass the changes in a single sitting
Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, proposed amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) during a parliamentary debate on Nov 4, 2021. The changes aim to enhance the city-state's ability to gather information from companies suspected of contributing to haze pollution, as well as to investigate their commercial links and impose restrictions on them.
Fu highlighted the worsening air quality, with the 24-hour PSI reading reaching 200, which is considered "very unhealthy." The proposed measures include empowering the director-general of environmental protection to require suspected entities to appoint expert private sector assessors, who will submit evaluation reports to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The government also plans to expand its powers to hold companies accountable beyond immediate concessionaires, including their supply chains, related corporates, and financiers. Violations of these restrictions could result in fines of up to S$1 million per contravention and an additional fine of up to S$100,000 for each day the breach continues.
These amendments were introduced in response to the recent severe haze episode, which left many Singaporeans demanding more effective action to prevent haze and hold responsible entities accountable.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
