Singapore, Indonesia to form joint haze task force, set up ministerial hotline to manage differences

Singapore and Indonesia will set up a joint task force to investigate companies linked to forest and land fires causing transboundary haze, their foreign ministers said on Tuesday (Oct 27). Speaking at a joint press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said that Indonesia is committed to working with Singapore and others to bring those responsible to justice. “Smoke can cross borders, so can money. That is why we must follow the money trail these companies have left behind. Singapore offered to share data on companies linked to the fires, which we welcome as a valuable opportunity,” he said. Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan backed the proposal, saying the task force would put companies “on notice” and strengthen coordination and information sharing between both countries. Authorities expect the “deterrence impact” of this joint task force “to make a difference,” he added. Read more: https://cna.asia/47Nh6JQ Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia