Enhanced haze law ‘not a silver bullet’, international cooperation remains crucial: Grace Fu

Singapore’s Parliament has unanimously passed amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, but Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu said the changes cannot solve haze pollution on their own. She stressed that Singapore’s enforcement powers stop at its borders, making cooperation with foreign agencies essential.

The six-hour debate involved 24 MPs, who raised questions about enforcement, fairness and effects on businesses. The expanded powers allow the National Environment Agency to require assessments of entities convicted of offences or linked to them, and potentially direct remedial action, publish adverse findings, prosecute or designate entities. Fu said the powers would be used in a measured, targeted way, with detailed procedures set out in subsidiary legislation.