Alfred Chua Today Online 27 Jun 14;
SINGAPORE — After a month of collecting feedback about the proposed Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill in a public consultation exercise, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) has released its key findings today (June 27).
Among the feedback received were calls that the proposed penalty sums were too low.
Currently, the bill proposes that errant companies can be fined up to S$300,000 if their activities outside Singapore result in the island being blanketed by unhealthy levels of haze.
Other feedback received also raised the issue of diffiulties in obtaining evidence from overseas entities. This could affect the effectiveness of the bill’s enforcement.
MEWR conducted its public consultation from February to March this year. A total of 52 pieces of feedback were received, the majority of which came from members of the public.
Some feedback gathered will be used to amend parts of the Bill, and the proposed Bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament next month.
Penalties for haze offences 'too low'
The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources yesterday said the Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill will take in feedback regarding penalties, among other things.
Grace Chua The Straits Times AsiaOne 30 Jun 14;
The criminal penalties in a draft Bill to tackle transboundary haze are too low, say those who gave their feedback on the proposed law earlier this year.
For example, the draft Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill suggested a fine of up to $300,000 for causing or contributing to haze that affects Singapore, or up to $450,000 if a company failed to comply with Singapore's request to prevent, reduce or control haze pollution.
Yesterday, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources said feedback had indicated the sums were too low, and there should be penalties for continuous offences. Others said some terms ought to be more clearly defined, and called for a provision for whistleblowers. Some also noted that gathering evidence overseas would be challenging.
The ministry said it would refine the Bill, to be tabled in Parliament on July 7, to incorporate the feedback. For instance, the penalty formula might take into account how long the haze lingered.
The Bill aims to hold companies that cause haze in Singapore liable, and provides for both civil and criminal liability.
The ministry received 52 feedback suggestions on the proposed law between Feb 19 and March. About 10 were from the general public and the rest from non-governmental organisations, civil society and corporations. It held a question-and-answer session yesterday for those who gave comments during the public consultation exercise.
"It's very clear there is overwhelming support for this Bill," said Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. "The feedback that was provided has been... so substantive that we have to amend the Bill," he told reporters.
If passed, the Bill could take effect by October or November. "This new Act on transboundary haze is not going to solve the problem, but it is one more step forward," he said, adding that legislation is not the main or only means of progress. Rather, Singapore continues to work with Indonesia to offer help during haze episodes, and to push for official concession maps necessary for an agreed-on ASEAN haze monitoring system.
"The greater long-term tragedy is not the episodic haze, but the huge amount of carbon that you're releasing by burning peat land. That is the elephant in the room," he added.
