Singapore Parliament Tightens Haze Law, Raising Fines to $20 million to Protect the Island
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Singapore’s Parliament backed amendments after a six-hour debate, giving authorities stronger powers and much higher penalties to deter companies linked to regional fires and safeguard the country from haze.
Singapore's Parliament approved amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act after a six-hour debate, equipping authorities with tougher powers to act against companies linked to regional fires and the haze that threatens Singapore. The changes raise the maximum criminal fine from $2 million to $20 million and introduce a civil penalty of up to $10 million, signaling a firmer response to a long-standing regional problem.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu told lawmakers that the revisions are intended to enable faster resolution of cases, allowing the National Environment Agency to act when scientific and meteorological data indicate a reasonable likelihood of haze affecting Singapore, even if smoke has not yet reached the island. The approach is designed to let officials intervene earlier, before conditions worsen.
All 24 MPs who spoke supported the amendments but sought clarification on several points. Some questioned why it took 11 years to strengthen the law and asked how the new provisions would be applied to the four ongoing cases from 2015, noting that the amendments are not retroactive. Others raised concerns that a $20 million fine may be insufficient for large corporations, and asked whether turnover-based penalties had been considered as an alternative.
Fu responded that an absolute fine was chosen for practicality, and that courts will determine the appropriate penalty based on each case’s circumstances. She explained that the civil route provides an alternative when the evidentiary standard for criminal prosecution—proof beyond reasonable doubt—is not met, preserving enforcement options when the facts do not support a criminal case.
Lawmakers also discussed broader measures to address the root causes of haze, such as peatland drainage and slash-and-burn agriculture in Indonesia. While the minister said the Act is not limited to peatland fires, she indicated that future directives could include requirements for water-table management and fire-prevention plans, broadening the toolkit available to authorities.
Fu cautioned that, despite the expanded tools, investigations will remain challenging due to evidentiary constraints and the large number of small landowners involved, highlighting the practical difficulties of enforcement in a complex regional setting.
“Our aim is to allow agencies to move and react in a timely manner… The government will still have to satisfy the court that all elements of the offence are met,” Fu said.
“If we’re able to prove beyond reasonable doubt, we’ll definitely go for the criminal prosecution route, and therefore the $20 million maximum fine will apply,” she added.