Response to Adjournment Motion on Strengthening Singapore's Role in Regional Clean Air amid Transboundary Haze - Dr Janil Puthucheary

Mr Speaker, I thank Ms He Ting Ru for her interest in this important issue.

We will continue to strive to be a responsible and constructive neighbour and regional player, while protecting the public health of our people, especially vulnerable groups, and holding those responsible accountable.

Ms He has suggested focussing our attention on some areas such as exercising our legal, regulatory and economic levers decisively but carefully, AND/OR upholding Singapore’s reputation as a financial and corporate hub with certain laws and regulations.

Let me assure Ms He that these are also areas that the Government is exploring and paying attention to. Earlier today, Minister Grace Fu responded to Members’ various questions on the haze which Ms He has also raised in her speech. These included the Government’s initiatives to protect Singaporeans, and prioritised support for vulnerable groups by distributing free masks.

Minister Fu also addressed stepping up and sustaining efforts to tackle haze at source through regional coordination.

We agree with Ms He that cooperation is more constructive and productive as part of our overall approach with our neighbours. As such, Singapore has agreed in-principle to establish a Joint Task Force with Indonesia to tackle haze. The Joint Task Force will complement our efforts under the amended THPA to hold errant Singapore and non-Singapore based companies accountable. We appreciate Indonesia's efforts to tackle the fires on the ground, and support their efforts to investigate companies and hold them accountable.

Strengthening accountability is also important to influence corporate behaviour and hold entities accountable. We will be debating amendments to strengthen the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) separately, and Minister will set out the Government’s proposals then.