3 Singapore companies say they will cooperate with authorities after receiving notices under haze law

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

As at 2pm today (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

TSH Global Plantation

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.

This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.

新加坡——根据新加坡共和国的雾霾法收到法律通知的 10 家新加坡公司中，有 3 家表示将配合当局的要求，提供有关其与印度尼西亚火灾之间联系的信息。

截至今天（10 月 24 日）下午 2 点，丰益国际、Bumitama Agri 和 First Resources 在新加坡交易所提交的文件中声明，他们已收到通知并打算遵守。

丰益国际于 10 月 23 日午夜时分率先宣布了其遵守国家环境局 (NEA) 指令的计划。这距离该机构首次宣布已发出法律通知大约三个小时。

丰益国际发言人随后告诉《海峡时报》，公司正在努力提供相关文件和信息，如有重大进展，将提供更多信息。

第一资源公司在10月24日凌晨1点15分提交的文件中表示，已同意提供必要的详细信息。该文件由其秘书赖冠龙签署。

随后，Bumitama Agri及其子公司于10月24日下午1点15分提交文件称，公司将向国家环境局（NEA）提供所需文件和信息。该文件由执行主席兼首席执行官林古纳万·哈里扬托签署。

其他七家公司尚未回应置评请求。它们分别是：

亚洲浆纸业公司

亚洲浆纸业公司（中国）

金农国际

印尼食品农业资源

TSH全球种植园

在新加坡国家环境局 (NEA) 于 10 月 23 日晚上 9 点宣布已根据《跨境烟霾污染法》(THPA) 第 10 条对 10 家新加坡公司发出通知后，这三家公司做出了回应。

通过这些通知，国家环境局正在寻求有关相关公司及其关联公司之间的联系、土地特许权信息、防火措施以及这些公司或其关联公司在现场采取的积极灭火工作的全面详细信息。

不合规公司的代表将面临最高 5000 美元的罚款、最高一个月的监禁，或两者并罚。

国家环境局表示，这 10 家公司要么在印尼拥有土地特许权，要么有关联公司拥有土地特许权。

新加坡国家环境局 (NEA) 最新针对这些在新加坡注册的公司（所有这些公司都在棕榈油或林业领域运营）采取的行动，标志着新加坡共和国加大了打击与跨境雾霾有关的公司的力度。

此前，该机构曾要求 10 家印尼公司提供更多关于其与火灾关联性的信息。

10月16日，该机构向位于苏门答腊的七家纸浆木材公司发出预防措施通知。10月19日，又向位于加里曼丹的三家公司发出类似通知。

根据《土地管理法》第9条发出的预防措施通知，要求各公司部署消防员并停止焚烧活动，同时向国家环境局提交扑灭其土地上任何火灾并防止火灾再次发生的行动计划。不遵守根据该法第9条发出的通知不会受到任何处罚。

根据该法案，被认定造成或助长雾霾的实体，每污染持续一天，可处以最高 10 万美元的罚款，最高罚款额为 200 万美元。

10月19日，高级部长尚穆根警告说，违规公司将不再被允许躲在复杂的公司结构或地理边界背后逃避责任，共和国准备动用“一切法律和监管手段”来对抗它们。

本文最初发表于《海峡时报》。转载需获得许可。