Indonesia is preparing a task force with Singapore on forest and land fires; a Nov. 3 meeting considered its scope and operations as the neighbors coordinate action on companies tied to fires.
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir chaired the discussion. Officials considered what the task force would cover and how it would operate within the responsibilities and authority of participating ministries. Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat and Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni attended, alongside representatives from the Finance Ministry.
In a ministry statement, Nasir called tackling forest and land fires a top priority. “Tackling forest and land fires is a top priority,” he said. Nasir said ending irresponsible business practices linked to fires would require coordination among government agencies and cooperation with regional partners. The ministry said President Prabowo Subianto had directed officials to strengthen communication and coordination with countries in the region on transboundary fires.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Balakrishnan backed Nasir’s proposal for a task force at their Oct. 27 meeting. The ministry said the two officials supported a mechanism to coordinate their efforts and share information on companies connected to forest and land fires. EconoTimes previously covered Nasir’s proposal for a joint Indonesia-Singapore task force. The Straits Times reported that Nasir said the proposed body could support exchanges of financial intelligence and cross-border evidence, along with possible recovery of assets from firms linked to forest fires.
The Straits Times also reported that Balakrishnan said Singapore was prepared to use legal, regulatory and economic measures against companies responsible for transboundary haze, including firms based in Singapore. He said the task force could let both countries coordinate enforcement and exchange information more closely to deter future violations.
Nasir said he hoped the task force could eventually take up other strategic issues involving responsible business practices between the two countries.
