Key facts
- Seven investigation and law firms appointed to a specialist panel.
- Panel will assess companies for links to transboundary haze.
- Assessments will be conducted at companies' own expense.
- Amendments to Transboundary Haze Pollution Act are planned.
Singapore has appointed seven firms to a specialist panel tasked with assessing companies identified as potentially linked to transboundary haze. The panel, comprising three investigation firms and four law firms or legal advisers, will evaluate these companies' operations, corporate relationships, and supply chains. This move is part of the government's efforts to strengthen laws and hold responsible parties accountable for haze pollution. Senior Minister K Shanmugam indicated that assessors may engage third-party experts, such as remote sensing analysts, and that the assessments will be conducted at the companies' expense. Amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act are planned to provide legal force to this assessment framework. Earlier this week, senior executives from 10 companies potentially linked to haze-causing fires met with three ministers to discuss the government's expectations.