Haze offenders could face $20m penalties as Singapore expands powers over haze-linked firms, financiers and supply chains新加坡扩大对与雾霾相关的企业、金融机构和供应链的监管力度，雾霾违规者可能面临高达2000万美元的罚款。
Firms and individuals causing or contributing to land or forest fires that pose a risk of haze pollution in Singapore can face fines of up to $20 million under the revised Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) proposed in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 4).Errant entities convicted of a haze-related offence can be fined up to $1 million per day, up from...
Firms and individuals causing or contributing to land or forest fires that pose a risk of haze pollution in Singapore can face fines of up to $20 million under the revised Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) proposed in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 4).
Errant entities convicted of a haze-related offence can be fined up to $1 million per day, up from the $100,000 fine per day previously. The maximum aggregate fine has also been increased from $2 million to $20 million.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu announced the amendments to the THPA in Parliament on Wednesday, highlighting the need for stronger penalties to deter the serious harm caused by transboundary haze and underscore the gravity of such offences.
The higher penalties are among a suite of amendments to the THPA aimed at enabling earlier intervention, facilitating enforcement and enhancing deterrence.
Other enhancements to the law include allowing notices and other documents to be served electronically, as well as enabling court proceedings to continue in the absence of an accused person in specified circumstances, addressing challenges in enforcing the THPA against foreign entities.
Under the revised law, entities will also have to prove that the fire was caused by another person acting without their knowledge and that they took reasonable measures to prevent and fight the fire.
"It will no longer be sufficient to simply claim that another person caused the fire," said Fu. She added that the recalibrated defence sends a strong signal of Singapore's expectations that entities take sufficient care to prevent burning on their land.
These amendments will also give the law more teeth, providing the National Environment Agency (NEA), which administers the Act, with additional tools to investigate commercial links and hold entities accountable.
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment will now be empowered to designate firms and individuals who have been convicted of offences under the Act, are suspected of engaging in conduct constituting an offence, or have failed to comply with relevant notices or directions.
Those designated may be subject to restrictions on business dealings, prohibiting other companies from buying from or selling goods to them, or providing loans and other financial support.
Entities with corporate, business or supply-chain links to irresponsible burning activities may also come under greater scrutiny under the new framework.
The Minister-in-charge of the Monetary Authority of Singapore will administer relevant orders where restrictions concern services provided by financial institutions.
Separately, certain entities may be put on notice not to deal with parties that cause or contribute to fires posing a risk of haze pollution in Singapore.
Entities directed to appoint an assessor must engage an expert assessor from a Director-General appointed panel at its own expense. The assessor will evaluate the entity's operations, business arrangements and corporate relationships, and submit a report directly to NEA.
Non-compliance with such orders, notices or directions will be an offence, attracting a maximum fine of $1 million for each contravention and an additional fine of up to $100,000 for every day the contravention continues after conviction.
In order to further address the challenges of gathering evidence outside Singapore, the amended THPA will also introduce a civil penalty framework to provide an additional route for holding errant entities accountable.
The revised bill allows NEA, with the consent of the Public Prosecutor, to bring a civil action in court seeking a civil penalty of up to $10 million.
"There are clear provisions to ensure that the entity is not doubly punished — the civil penalty framework cannot be used in tandem with criminal prosecution in any single case," Fu said in Parliament.
The revised law will also increase public accountability by allowing NEA to publish lists of entities that have failed to comply with notices or directions issued under the Act.
Fu emphasised that the proposed changes will not guarantee successful prosecutions, nor will legislation alone solve the transboundary haze problem.
"But we must do what we can within our own jurisdiction to protect our people from the harmful effects of haze," said Fu.
The Bill was introduced under a Certificate of Urgency to expedite the implementation of the enhanced enforcement powers while investigations into the recent haze episode are ongoing.
"We will continue working with our neighbours to strengthen regional cooperation and prevent fires at source," said Fu, noting the recent announcement of the joint task force between Singapore and Indonesia to tackle errant firms linked to the transboundary haze.
laili.abdeen@asiaone.com
根据周三（11 月 4 日）在国会提出的修订版《跨境烟霾污染法》（THPA），在新加坡造成或助长土地或森林火灾，从而导致烟霾污染风险的公司和个人，可能面临高达 2000 万美元的罚款。
违反雾霾相关规定的实体，每日罚款最高可达100万美元，高于之前的每日10万美元。最高累计罚款额也从200万美元提高至2000万美元。
永续及环境部长傅海燕周三在国会宣布对《跨境烟霾法》进行修订，强调需要加大处罚力度，以遏制跨境烟霾造成的严重危害，并凸显此类违法行为的严重性。
提高处罚力度是《德克萨斯州人权法案》一系列修正案的一部分，旨在实现更早的干预、促进执法和增强威慑力。
该法律的其他改进包括允许以电子方式送达通知和其他文件，以及在特定情况下允许在被告缺席的情况下继续进行法庭诉讼，从而解决对外国实体执行《土耳其人权法案》所面临的挑战。
根据修订后的法律，相关实体还必须证明火灾是由他人未经其同意而造成的，并且他们已采取合理措施来预防和扑灭火灾。
傅女士表示：“仅仅声称是他人引发的火灾已经不够了。”她补充说，重新调整后的辩护策略强烈表明，新加坡期望各实体采取充分措施防止在其土地上发生火灾。
这些修正案还将赋予该法律更大的效力，为负责管理该法案的国家环境局 (NEA) 提供更多工具来调查商业联系并追究相关实体的责任。
可持续发展和环境部长现在有权指定那些根据该法案被判犯有罪行、涉嫌从事构成犯罪行为或未能遵守相关通知或指示的公司和个人。
被指定者可能会受到商业交易限制，禁止其他公司向其购买或出售商品，或提供贷款和其他金融支持。
在新框架下，与不负责任的焚烧活动有企业、商业或供应链联系的实体也可能受到更严格的审查。
新加坡金融管理局主管部长将负责执行有关限制措施的命令，这些限制措施涉及金融机构提供的服务。
另外，某些实体可能会被告知不得与造成或助长火灾、从而导致新加坡出现雾霾污染风险的各方进行交易。
被指示委任评估员的机构必须自费从总干事指定的专家评估小组中聘请一名评估员。评估员将评估该机构的运营、业务安排和公司关系，并直接向国家环境局提交报告。
不遵守此类命令、通知或指示将构成违法行为，每次违规最高可处以 100 万美元的罚款，并且在定罪后，违规行为持续的每一天还将处以最高 10 万美元的额外罚款。
为了进一步解决在新加坡境外收集证据的挑战，修订后的《信托法》还将引入民事处罚框架，为追究违规实体的责任提供额外的途径。
修订后的法案允许国家环境局在获得检察官同意后，向法院提起民事诉讼，寻求最高 1000 万美元的民事罚款。
傅海燕在立法院表示：“有明确的规定确保不会对相关实体进行双重处罚——在任何单一案件中，民事处罚框架都不能与刑事诉讼同时使用。”
修订后的法律还将允许国家环境局公布未遵守根据该法发布的通知或指示的实体名单，从而提高公众问责制。
傅强调，拟议的改革并不能保证成功起诉，单靠立法也无法解决跨境雾霾问题。
“但是我们必须在自己的管辖范围内尽我们所能，保护我们的人民免受雾霾的有害影响，”傅说。
该法案是根据紧急证书提出的，旨在加快加强执法权力的实施，同时对最近的雾霾事件进行调查。
傅先生表示：“我们将继续与邻国合作，加强区域合作，从源头上防止火灾发生。”他还提到新加坡和印度尼西亚最近宣布成立联合工作组，以打击与跨境烟霾有关的违规企业。
laili.abdeen@asiaone.com