Singapore, Indonesia setting up joint task force to probe firms linked to forest fires; hotlines to manage differences

The task force, announced by the two countries' foreign ministers on Tuesday (Oct 27), will coordinate action and share information on companies linked to forest and land fires.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishan (left) and Indonesia Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir (right) at a joint press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct 27.

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SINGAPORE: Singapore and Indonesia will set up a joint task force to tackle the forest fires which have caused the transboundary haze issue, said the two countries on Tuesday (Oct 27).

Speaking at a joint press conference in Jakarta during a visit by Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishan, Indonesia Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said that Indonesia is committed to working with Singapore and others to bring those responsible to justice.

“Smoke can cross borders, so can money. That is why we must follow the money trail these companies have left behind. Singapore offered to share data on companies linked to the fires, which we welcome as a valuable opportunity,” he said.

“In this context, we discussed establishing a joint task force on strengthening business responsibility. It will link information sharing, financial intelligence, and cross-border evidence gathering, with and where possible hopefully asset recovery. No border should shield those who profit from burning our forests.”

Dr Balakrishnan added that Singapore agrees with the establishment of such a task force.

“And we are in effect putting all the companies on notice that the joint task force will ensure that there is a very close coordination of actions and sharing of information between Indonesia and Singapore,” he said.

Authorities expect the “deterrence impact” of this joint task force “to make a difference,” he added.

Both sides will also set up a hotline to handle any differences in bilateral issues, added Mr Arrmanatha.

He said both sides recognised that "from time to time there will be differences where we have to address it in an efficient manner".

“In this context, we agreed to strengthen our channel of communication through a hotline at ministerial as well at senior official levels," he added.

Singapore’s authorities last week laid out several measures to tackle the transboundary haze which has caused stretches of unhealthy air quality since Sep 4.

This included the setting up of a specialist panel to probe firms that may be responsible for, or have contributed to, the fires causing haze in Singapore. The panel will comprise law firms, audit firms and investigative firms with expertise in conducting cross-border inquiries and investigations, said the Ministry of Law.

The National Environment Agency on Friday also issued notices to 10 Singapore-based firms to seek documents and information, the first time the agency has done so since the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act went into effect.

Amid the haze situation, there have also been remarks by current and former Indonesian political figures targeting neighbouring countries.

Earlier this month, Indonesia’s Government Communications Agency head Syahganda Nainggolan defended the country against criticism over transboundary haze, saying: "We're not just sending over the haze. When there's no haze, we send oxygen. The oxygen in Singapore and Malaysia comes from our forests, right?"

He added that the forest fires are "beyond human error" and a natural phenomenon.

In an interview with Singapore media, Senior Minister K Shanmugam on Oct 19 expressed disappointment over the remarks, but also welcomed Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's efforts to tackle the transboundary haze crisis .

Mr Shanmugam added that he did not believe the official’s view was widely shared within the country’s government or among the broader public, pointing to reactions to the remarks. Mr Shanmugam also acknowledged the steps taken by Mr Prabowo and his administration to address the haze situation.

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两国的外交部长于周二（10月27日）宣布成立该工作组，该工作组将协调行动并共享与森林和土地火灾有关的公司信息。

10月27日，新加坡外交部长维文·巴拉克里尚（左）和印度尼西亚外交部长阿尔马纳塔·纳西尔（右）在印度尼西亚雅加达举行联合新闻发布会。

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：新加坡和印度尼西亚周二（10月27日）表示，两国将成立联合工作组，以应对造成跨境烟霾问题的森林火灾。

在新加坡外交部长维文·巴拉克里尚访问雅加达期间，印尼外交部长阿尔马纳塔·纳西尔在联合新闻发布会上表示，印尼致力于与新加坡和其他国家合作，将肇事者绳之以法。

“烟雾可以跨越国界，资金也可以。因此，我们必须追踪这些公司留下的资金流向。新加坡主动提出分享与火灾相关的公司数据，我们对此表示欢迎，认为这是一个宝贵的机会。”他说道。

“在此背景下，我们讨论了成立一个加强企业责任的联合工作组。该工作组将把信息共享、金融情报和跨境证据收集与资产追回联系起来，并尽可能地争取资产追回。任何国界都不应庇护那些从焚烧森林中获利的人。”

巴拉克里希南博士补充说，新加坡同意成立这样一个工作组。

他说：“我们实际上是在通知所有公司，联合工作组将确保印尼和新加坡之间在行动和信息共享方面进行非常密切的协调。”

他补充说，当局预计这支联合特遣部队的“威慑作用”将“产生影响”。

阿曼纳塔先生补充说，双方还将设立一条热线，以处理双边问题上的任何分歧。

他表示，双方都认识到“有时会出现分歧，我们需要以有效的方式解决这些分歧”。

“在此背景下，我们同意通过部长级和高级官员级别的热线加强沟通渠道，”他补充道。

新加坡当局上周制定了几项措施来应对跨境雾霾，自 9 月 4 日以来，跨境雾霾已造成多处空气质量不佳。

这其中包括成立一个专家小组，调查可能对新加坡造成烟霾的火灾负有责任或有所贡献的公司。新加坡律政部表示，该小组将由具有跨境调查经验的律师事务所、审计事务所和调查公司组成。

国家环境局周五还向 10 家新加坡公司发出通知，要求其提供文件和信息。这是自《跨境烟霾污染法》生效以来，该机构首次采取此类行动。

在雾霾天气中，一些现任和前任印尼政治人物也发表了针对邻国的言论。

本月初，印尼政府通讯局局长沙赫甘达·奈因戈兰为该国辩护，反驳有关跨境雾霾的批评，她说：“我们不只是输送雾霾。没有雾霾的时候，我们输送的是氧气。新加坡和马来西亚的氧气来自我们的森林，对吧？”

他还补充说，森林火灾“并非人为错误”，而是一种自然现象。

10月19日，新加坡高级部长尚穆根在接受新加坡媒体采访时，对这些言论表示失望，但也对印尼总统普拉博沃·苏比安托为解决跨境雾霾危机所做的努力表示欢迎。

尚穆根先生补充说，他不认为这位官员的观点在国家政府内部或广大民众中得到广泛认同，并指出人们对这些言论的反应。尚穆根先生还肯定了普拉博沃先生及其政府为应对雾霾问题所采取的措施。

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