Singapore has called in senior executives from 10 locally registered companies that may be linked to fires in Indonesia behind this month's regional haze, the South China Morning Post reports.
The firms, which include Wilmar International, Golden Agri-Resources, First Resources and Asia Pulp & Paper, met Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister K Shanmugam and Environment Minister Grace Fu on Wednesday. Air quality in Singapore reached "very unhealthy" levels earlier in October.
Shanmugam said afterwards that the companies had agreed to cooperate fully with a government investigation, and that Singapore would use all legal and regulatory powers available to hold anyone responsible to account, while insisting the aim was not to find scapegoats. The government also plans tougher laws on polluters. The National Environment Agency last week asked the firms for details of their land concessions in Indonesia and their fire prevention measures.
Source: South China Morning Post
