Singapore to issue haze prevention notices to three more firms in Indonesia over Kalimantan fires
This brings the total number of firms targeted under Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to 10.
A firefighter extinguishes a fire in Sungai Tabuk village in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan province, on Oct 16, 2026. (File photo: AFP/Muda Sagala)
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SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) will issue notices to three more companies in Indonesia over fires in Kalimantan that may have contributed to haze in Singapore, bringing the total number of firms targeted under Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) to 10.
In a media release on Monday (Oct 19), NEA said there were indications that smoke from fires on concession lands held by the three companies could have reached Singapore.
The companies are PT Buana Megatama Jaya, PT Mananjung Hayak and PT Baratama Putra Perkasa.
The latest move comes three days after NEA sent similar notices to seven Indonesian companies over fires in Sumatra.
Under the notices, the three companies will be required to deploy firefighting personnel to extinguish fires or prevent them from spreading on land they own or occupy.
They must also stop any ongoing burning activities, refrain from starting new ones, and submit action plans to NEA detailing measures to put out fires and prevent them from recurring.
"NEA remains committed to taking enforcement action against errant companies found responsible for causing transboundary haze in Singapore," the agency said.
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The latest notices follow remarks by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu last Friday that NEA would take action against more companies if there were indications that fires on their land had contributed to transboundary haze in Singapore.
Speaking at a press conference, Ms Fu said the agency would monitor the companies' responses to the notices and consider further measures under the THPA where warranted.
She said fines or charges were among the options being considered, adding that the government would assess the effectiveness of its actions.
Ms Fu also acknowledged the practical challenges of investigating transboundary haze offences, particularly when the companies involved operate outside Singapore.
"It is not easy. I will be the first to admit, but we must try," she said.
The seven companies that received notices last Friday were PT Bumi Andalas Permai, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, PT Paramitra Mulia Langgeng, PT Sumatera Alam Anugerah, PT SBA Wood Industries, PT Hutan Lestari Raya and PT Bangkanesia.
Some of the companies had previously come under scrutiny during earlier haze episodes.
Singapore's THPA, which came into force in 2014, allows authorities to take legal action against companies whose activities overseas cause or contribute to haze pollution in Singapore.
Companies found guilty of causing or contributing to transboundary haze can face fines of up to S$100,000 for each day or part of a day that the haze persists, capped at S$2 million.
The law also provides for penalties against companies that fail to comply with preventive measure notices.
NEA had issued legal notices to six companies in Indonesia over the severe haze crisis in 2015, with investigations into four of those firms still ongoing.
