Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wants a planned Indonesia-Singapore forest-fire task force opened to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Channel NewsAsia reported, a proposal that would broaden regional cooperation on cross-border haze.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) said Wong raised the idea at the 49th ASEAN Summit retreat in Manila on Nov. 15. The outlet quoted him saying, “It should be an ASEAN-wide platform.” Wong also said fires can occur in any ASEAN country, CNA reported.
The proposal follows an October agreement between Singapore and Indonesia to create a joint task force. At a joint news conference on Oct. 27, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir had proposed the body and Singapore agreed. Balakrishnan said it would help the governments coordinate responses and share information about companies linked to fires, with a deterrent effect, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nov. 3 that the countries were still setting the task force’s scope and operating arrangements. It described the body as a bilateral channel for information exchange and trust-building and gave no completion date.
ASEAN already has a regional haze framework. The ASEAN Haze Portal says the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre perform interim coordinating-centre functions under that framework.
Balakrishnan has said forest and land fires are caused by human activity. He described haze in Southeast Asia as a problem that has persisted for almost three decades.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) said Nov. 4 that proposed amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act would raise the maximum fine for its main offense from S$2 million to S$20 million. NEA said the higher maximum would apply to entities found liable under the law, with courts determining liability. The agency said the government plans to amend the law.
