Justice · Haze investigationSingapore haze probe reaches 10 palm oil and forestry companiesAired October 27, 2026 at 1:28 AM UTCWritten October 27, 2026 at 1:31 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07Ten palm oil and forestry companies face demands for records in Singapore's haze0:11investigation.0:12The inquiry reaches across the border into Indonesian land concessions and the0:15businesses connected to them.0:17For people exposed to haze, the stakes are whether investigators can identify who's0:21responsible for the pollution.0:22Can the requested records connect the fires?0:25The land and the companies strongly enough to support enforcement.0:28Singapore's National Environment Agency issued the notices to ten Singapore0:32registered companies on October23,2026.0:35It wants records that could help determine whether businesses contributed to haze0:39from fires in Indonesia.0:40Receiving a notice doesn't mean a company has been found responsible.0:43Investigators are gathering evidence, and this action carries no finding of0:47liability against the ten recipients.0:49The immediate change is how far the search for that evidence now reaches.0:53The companies are registered in Singapore, while the land concession records being0:56sought concern Indonesia.0:58Investigators need to work through that cross border relationship to connect1:01particular businesses with the land, the fires, and any resulting haze reaching1:05Singapore.1:06A registration address tells investigators where a business is based.1:09Land records can help show where its interests lie.1:12Establishing responsibility also requires evidence about what a business actually1:16did or allowed others to do in connection with the pollution.1:19The agency wants details about Indonesian land concessions, measures to prevent and1:23fight fires, and relationships with other relevant companies.1:26Those requests address separate parts of the investigation: the land involved,1:30arrangements to control burning, and the businesses connected to it.1:33Corporate relationships are part of the inquiry because the agency is examining1:36connections between businesses as well as their land interests.1:39What those documents reveal will determine whether investigators can take the case1:43beyond requests for information.1:45Wilmar International, Golden Agri International, and First Resources are among the1:49named recipients.1:50Asia Pulp and Paper has also been publicly identified.1:53Together, those four names account for only part of the ten company group receiving1:57notices.1:57Singapore has sought information from a Singapore linked business over Hayes before.2:02The earlier action involved a different group of recipients.2:05And it provides useful context for how the authorities have pursued evidence across2:08borders.2:09An official announcement on September25,2015 , recorded notices to four Indonesian2:14companies and a separate information request to Asia Pulpen Paper.2:18The October23,2026 action reaches ten Singapore registered companies.2:22These are distinct exercises years apart.2:25Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act provides the legal framework for2:28investigating responsibility for haze reaching the country.2:31A penalty would require evidence supporting liability under that law.2:34The information notices are a step toward obtaining that evidence.2:37The potential maximum penalty is reportedly up to seventy-eight thousand US dollars2:41for a day of pollution.2:43No such fine has been assessed against these companies through this notice action.2:46Any penalty would depend on the applicable legal conditions.2:49Investigators now have a route to seek the records needed to test those connections.2:53Whether the evidence supports further enforcement is still unresolved.2:56We don't yet know when the companies must reply.2:58The next consequential step is what their records reveal about the fires, the3:02affected land, and the businesses involved.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗
