Three Singapore-registered firms say they will comply with NEA haze notices

Three of the 10 Singapore-registered firms served with haze-related notices say they will cooperate. Wilmar International, First Resources and Bumitama Agri each told the market they would hand over what the National Environment Agency (NEA) has asked for, according to CNA.

The notices went out on Friday (Oct 23) under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, and it is the first time NEA has used them in this way since the Act took effect.

What the three firms said

First Resources, in Saturday's filing, stated that its notice was under review, and it "will provide the requested documents and information to NEA in accordance with the requirements set out therein". The company further noted that it plans to keep watching the issue, and should any material developments arise, it will issue more announcements as appropriate.

On Saturday Bumitama stated that it would supply the documents and information requested, whereas Wilmar, in its Friday filing, noted that efforts to comply were in progress. If material developments occur, both companies said further announcements would follow.

What NEA wants to know

NEA wants the 10 firms to supply particulars on how they are linked to associated companies in Singapore and in Indonesia, where their land concessions lie, as well as on fire prevention measures and any firefighting efforts made in the dry season. According to NEA, each of the 10 operates in palm oil or forestry, and either holds land concessions in Indonesia directly or has related companies that hold them.

Prior to Friday, the only recipients of NEA notices had been companies absent from the BizFile portal run by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. CNA sent requests for comment on Friday to the seven other companies, and none has replied so far.

Wider pressure on the industry

Senior Minister K Shanmugam had warned that Singapore would draw on every legal, regulatory and economic lever available to it against those responsible for the haze, and the move comes after that warning. In recent weeks, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) had put questions to several of the firms, or non-profit organisations had flagged them. Queries from SGX had gone to Bumitama Agri, Golden Agri-Resources, First Resources, Kencana Agri, Wilmar International, Indofood Agri Resources and TSH Resources.

The Singapore Environment Council said earlier this week that temporary green certification restrictions now apply to APP, an Indonesian paper firm registered in Singapore, because three of its wood-fibre suppliers were tied to fires in Indonesia that caused haze. APP must file daily fire response reports and will be closely monitored on fire prevention and suppression for land its suppliers manage.