Errant firms face $20m fine, blocked financial services under proposed changes to S’pore haze law

Published Nov 04, 2026, 02:50 PM

Updated Nov 04, 2026, 02:50 PM

SINGAPORE – Sweeping changes are being proposed to Singapore’s haze law, to give authorities here more tools to investigate and act against firms linked to fires in the region.

The Bill to amend the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act will also increase financial and commercial penalties for those found guilty, and allow Singapore to take action even before the pollutive smoke reaches its shores.

Speaking on the need for the amendments in Parliament on Nov 4, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said the haze is not an act of nature but rather a consequence of human action, driven by errant firms’ irresponsible practices in the pursuit of profit.

To avoid losing critical evidence in ongoing investigations, Singapore must quickly strengthen its laws to trace corporate relationships, penalise those responsible, and stop haze pollution before it reaches the Republic, she added.

In order to achieve this, the amendments are being tabled under a certificate of urgency, which is signed by the President, and allows for changes to be debated and voted on in the same sitting, instead of taking days.

Currently, the Act targets those responsible for causing or condoning fires. It can be triggered if the haze causes the Pollutant Standards Index – a measure of air quality in Singapore – to stay in the unhealthy range in any part of the country for 24 hours or more.

Those guilty under the Act can be fined up to $100,000 a day, capped at a total of $2 million.

The law has been wielded twice so far – in 2015, during the last major haze crisis to affect Singapore, and again in 2026. But no fines have been meted out so far.

Fu said that following the recent haze episode in Singapore – in which the country experienced stretches of unhealthy air quality from Sept 4 until Oct 26 – many Singaporeans want to see more effective action to prevent haze and hold those responsible accountable.

“The Government shares these concerns,” Fu said.

Establishing liability

One of the key changes proposed is the overhaul of the investigative approach taken to investigate a firm’s links to the haze-belching fires.

Currently, the investigative process hinges mainly on a company’s willingness to provide information to Singapore authorities after they are issued legal notices under the law.

But the proposed amendments will enable Singapore authorities to be more proactive in finding evidence.

To this end, Fu said the Director-General of Environmental Protection will be given the authority to direct firms with suspected links to haze pollution here to appoint assessors from the private sector.

These assessors will be specified by the director-general, and builds on a recent move by the Government to convene a panel of experts to look into 10 Singapore-based firms issued notices under the THPA.

Based on the reports submitted to the National Environment Agency (NEA), the authorities can then decide to exonerate or pursue the firms that had been identified.

Failing to comply with this direction could result in a fine of up to $20 million if convicted.

The proposed changes to the law will also enable the authorities here to serve legal documents to companies electronically, such as through e-mail. This also includes publishing notices on the NEA’s website, or through the media.

Currently, such documents need to be served physically, making it difficult to initiate formal processes with overseas entities.

While this may not necessarily compel cooperation, Fu said it eliminates longstanding obstacles that have hindered Singapore’s ability to carry out investigations and legal proceedings.

Additionally, the Deputy-General of Environmental Protection, as well as certain authorised officers, will be able to arrest individuals in Singapore to secure their cooperation if the law permits.

In the event that those accused are not in the country, hearings will still be able to proceed in Singapore’s court.

The proposed changes will also hold companies to a higher bar of responsible corporate behaviour.

The Act now allows firms suspected of causing fires to avoid blame under certain scenarios. For instance, if the fires were solely caused by a natural disaster or an act of war, an individual acting without the firms’ knowledge, or if the firms show they have taken reasonable steps to prevent and fight them, then they can deflect responsibility.

This excuse had been given by firms currently being investigated under the law. First Resources, one of the 10 Singapore firms being looked into, had said fires detected in their Indonesian concessions originated from elsewhere.

But the Bill will tighten these statutory defences.

Fu said firms seeking a defence will now need to prove that the fire was caused by another person acting without their knowledge, and that they have taken reasonable measures to prevent and fight the fire.

Targeting business and financial interests

The penalties for those convicted of causing or contributing to fires that bring unhealthy haze to Singapore have been increased 10-fold under the proposed amendments.

With the changes, the fine will go up from $100,000 to $1 million for every day of haze pollution caused in Singapore, with the maximum amount capped at $20 million.

The Court will also be empowered to assess the profit gained or loss avoided as a result of committing the offence, and to impose this as an additional penalty on the entity convicted.

The revised law, if passed, will also provide the authorities here with additional levers to target a company’s business interests and revenue streams, opening up other punitive pathways apart from prosecution.

In addition, the NEA will be empowered to publicise the names of entities that have not complied with notices or directions under the Act, as well as those that have been told to appoint an external assessor.

Fu said: “This will ensure transparency on the use of these powers, and where wrongdoing or non-compliance has been established, strengthen public accountability.”

The amended THPA will have powers to impose prohibitions or measures on companies or individuals that have been designated by the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment.

An entity can be designated by the minister under a few conditions.

A firm that is convicted or suspected of offences under the THPA can be designated. A designation can also be levied if the entity fails to comply with notices, or is found with an adverse assessment report by external assessors.

Through this designation process, the Government can then issue orders that restrict business dealings with such entities, Fu said. This could come in the form of prohibiting the provision of goods and services to them, including financial services.

Measures relating to the provision of financial services by financial institutions are overseen by the Minister-in-charge of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Doing business with designated entities could result in a maximum fine of $1 million for each infraction, with an additional fine of up to $100,000 each day for not cooperating.

However, imposing these restrictions may not be enough, as it may not be practical to identify every entity or component of the supply chain that is involved in irresponsible burning.

Therefore, entities linked to designated companies – including retailers selling the firms’ palm oil or paper products, for instance – can be put on notice to ensure that their business arrangements and supply chains are free of any products or links to potentially offending firms.

If a firm or individual maintains business dealings with errant companies, then they can be fined up to $1 million for each violation, with an additional fine of $100,000 each day the infringement continues.

Acting before air quality dips to unhealthy levels

The proposed amendments will also expand the scope of the Act to include the risk of haze.

This means entities can be held responsible as long as they cause or contribute to overseas fires that potentially result in Singapore experiencing haze, even if the smoke plumes have not drifted here.

Doing so would enable Singapore to take preventive action, she said, adding that the intention is not to police every single fire in the region, but only those that pose a credible risk here.

“These changes will give us the flexibility to act in a wider range of circumstances.

“However, we will continue to be focused in terms of which fires we will look into,” she said.

Acknowledging the practical challenges of tracing overseas activities, Fu noted that investigations may delve into complex corporate structures and business arrangements.

“The changes we are proposing will not guarantee successful prosecutions, nor will legislation alone solve the transboundary haze problem.

“But they will strengthen our ability to act to protect Singaporeans, including by imposing economic consequences on errant entities even where criminal prosecution remains difficult,” she said.

Aqil Hamzah is a transport journalist at The Straits Times. He is also interested in issues related to crime and technology.

Shabana Begum is a correspondent, with a focus on environment and science, at The Straits Times.

Singapore Parliament

Environmental issues

Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment

发布于2026年11月4日下午2:50

更新于2026年11月4日下午2:50

新加坡——新加坡正提议对雾霾法进行全面修改，以便赋予当局更多工具来调查和打击与该地区火灾有关的公司。

修订《跨境烟霾污染法》的法案还将加大对罪犯的经济和商业处罚力度，并允许新加坡在污染烟雾到达其海岸之前采取行动。

11月4日，永续发展及环境部长傅海燕在国会就修改相关法律的必要性发表讲话时表示，雾霾并非自然现象，而是人类活动的结果，是某些不法企业为追求利润而采取不负责任的做法造成的。

她补充说，为避免在正在进行的调查中丢失关键证据，新加坡必须迅速加强其法律，以追踪企业关系，惩罚责任人，并在雾霾污染到达共和国之前将其阻止。

为了实现这一目标，这些修正案以紧急状态证书的形式提交，由总统签署，允许在同一次会议上对修改进行辩论和投票，而不是花费数天时间。

目前，该法案主要针对那些造成或纵容火灾的责任人。如果雾霾导致新加坡任何地区的污染物标准指数（衡量空气质量的指标）连续24小时或以上处于不健康水平，则该法案即可生效。

根据该法案，违法者每天最高可被处以 10 万美元的罚款，最高罚款总额可达 200 万美元。

该法律迄今为止已启用两次——一次是在 2015 年新加坡上次遭受严重雾霾危机期间，另一次是在 2026 年。但迄今为止，尚未有人因此被罚款。

傅先生表示，在新加坡最近发生雾霾事件后——该国从9月4日至10月26日经历了空气质量不健康的时期——许多新加坡人希望看到更有效的措施来防止雾霾，并追究相关责任人的责任。

傅先生说：“政府也有同样的担忧。”

确定责任

其中一项关键改革是彻底改变调查公司与冒着浓烟的火灾之间联系的调查方法。

目前，调查过程主要取决于公司在收到新加坡当局依法发出的法律通知后是否愿意提供信息。

但拟议的修正案将使新加坡当局能够更加积极主动地寻找证据。

为此，傅先生表示，环境保护局局长将被授权指示与本地雾霾污染有牵连的企业，从私营部门聘请评估人员。

这些评估人员将由总监指定，这是继政府最近召集专家小组调查根据《住房和贸易保护法》收到通知的 10 家新加坡公司之后采取的措施。

根据提交给国家环境局 (NEA) 的报告，当局可以决定免除或追究已被查明的公司的责任。

如不遵守此指令，经定罪，最高可被处以 2000 万美元的罚款。

拟议的法律修改还将允许有关部门以电子方式（例如通过电子邮件）向公司送达法律文件。这还包括在国家环境局网站上发布公告，或通过媒体发布公告。

目前，此类文件需要以实物形式送达，这使得与海外实体启动正式流程变得困难。

傅先生表示，虽然这未必能促使新加坡合作，但它消除了长期以来阻碍新加坡开展调查和法律诉讼的障碍。

此外，如果法律允许，环境保护部副部长以及某些授权官员将有权在新加坡逮捕个人以确保其合作。

如果被告人不在新加坡境内，审理仍可在新加坡法院进行。

拟议的改革还将对企业的社会责任行为提出更高的要求。

该法案现允许涉嫌引发火灾的公司在特定情况下免除责任。例如，如果火灾完全由自然灾害或战争行为、个人在公司不知情的情况下所为造成，或者公司能够证明其已采取合理措施预防和扑灭火灾，则公司可以推卸责任。

一些公司曾以类似理由接受法律调查。新加坡十家被调查公司之一的第一资源公司声称，其在印尼特许经营区发现的火灾并非源于此。

但该法案将加强这些法定抗辩理由。

傅先生表示，现在寻求辩护的公司需要证明火灾是由他人在他们不知情的情况下造成的，并且他们已经采取了合理的措施来预防和扑灭火灾。

针对商业和金融利益

根据拟议的修正案，对那些因造成或促成火灾而导致新加坡出现不健康烟霾的人的处罚力度提高了 10 倍。

根据这些变化，新加坡对雾霾污染造成的每日罚款将从 10 万美元增加到 100 万美元，最高罚款额为 2000 万美元。

法院还有权评估因犯罪而获得的利润或避免的损失，并可将此作为附加处罚加在被定罪的实体身上。

如果修订后的法律获得通过，还将为当局提供更多手段来打击公司的商业利益和收入来源，开辟除起诉之外的其他惩罚途径。

此外，国家环境局将有权公布未遵守该法案规定的通知或指示的实体的名称，以及已被告知要任命外部评估员的实体的名称。

傅先生表示：“这将确保这些权力使用的透明度，并在发现不当行为或不合规行为时，加强公众问责。”

修订后的《旅游和住房保护法》将有权对可持续发展和环境部长指定的公司或个人实施禁令或措施。

部长可在满足某些条件的情况下指定某个实体。

根据《德克萨斯州住房和贸易保护法》（THPA），任何被定罪或涉嫌违反该法的公司都可能被指定为受监管企业。此外，如果企业未能遵守通知，或外部评估机构出具了不利的评估报告，也可能被指定为受监管企业。

傅先生表示，通过这一认定程序，政府可以发布命令，限制与此类实体进行商业往来。这可能包括禁止向其提供商品和服务，包括金融服务。

与金融机构提供金融服务相关的措施由新加坡金融管理局主管部长监督。

与指定实体进行业务往来，每次违规最高可被处以 100 万美元的罚款，不配合者每天还可能被处以最高 10 万美元的额外罚款。

然而，实施这些限制可能还不够，因为要识别供应链中参与不负责任焚烧的每一个实体或环节可能并不实际。

因此，与指定公司有关联的实体（例如销售这些公司棕榈油或纸制品的零售商）可能会被要求确保其业务安排和供应链不涉及任何可能违规的公司的产品或联系。

如果公司或个人与违规公司保持业务往来，则每次违规行为最高可被罚款 100 万美元，违规行为持续的每一天还将额外罚款 10 万美元。

在空气质量降至不健康水平之前采取行动

拟议的修正案还将扩大该法案的适用范围，将雾霾风险纳入其中。

这意味着，只要相关实体造成或促成了可能导致新加坡出现雾霾的海外火灾，即使烟雾尚未飘到新加坡，这些实体仍可能被追究责任。

她表示，这样做可以让新加坡采取预防措施，并补充说，其目的并非监管该地区的每一场火灾，而只是监管那些对新加坡构成切实风险的火灾。

“这些变化将使我们在更广泛的情况下拥有更大的行动灵活性。”

“但是，我们将继续集中精力调查哪些火灾，”她说。

傅先生承认追踪海外活动存在实际挑战，并指出调查可能会深入到复杂的公司结构和商业安排中。

“我们提出的改革措施并不能保证成功起诉，单靠立法也无法解决跨境雾霾问题。”

“但这些措施将增强我们保护新加坡人的能力，包括对违规实体施加经济处罚，即使刑事起诉仍然困难，”她说。

阿基尔·哈姆扎是《海峡时报》的交通记者。他也对犯罪和科技相关议题感兴趣。

沙巴娜·贝古姆是《海峡时报》的记者，主要关注环境和科学领域。

新加坡国会

环境问题

可持续发展与环境部