Singapore's National Environment Agency said it had identified seven companies linked to fires in Indonesia that sent haze across the border, and it issued formal notices requiring those firms to contain the blazes and explain the steps they are taking now. Investigators combined mapping, meteorological readings and satellite scans to tie the incidents to corporate operators.
Two South Sumatra plantation operators, PT Bumi Andalas Permai and PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, were among those notified. Both are listed suppliers to APP Group, a major player in the sector. Bumi Mekar Hijau and Bumi Andalas Permai did not pick up phone calls seeking comment, and APP's spokesperson did not immediately reply to messages. The haze has spread across Singapore and Malaysia amid dry conditions tied to a strong El Niño, and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said companies responsible would be probed, with legal action on the table for any found culpable.
Separately, Singapore Exchange Regulation asked listed companies with agricultural and plantation businesses in Indonesia for updates on forest and peatland fires. Kencana Agri Ltd. and Bumitama Agri Ltd. told the bourse that flames had moved into areas under their management and that they were working to put them out.
Wilmar International Ltd. said it extinguished limited fires within parts of some concessions and said those started beyond its own estates. Golden Agri-Resources Ltd. said it had not seen any evidence that its operations caused or added to the haze. Slash-and-burn land clearing has long driven seasonal fires in Indonesia, with this year's dry spell made worse by El Niño.
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Under Singapore's 2014 transboundary haze statute, officials may impose charges reaching S$100,000 ($78,000) for each day that pollution occurs. The government sought to use it in 2015 but said it struggled to obtain data from Indonesia on suspected illegal burning. Ten years on, four companies are still being investigated under the regime.
The law applies to entities that cause or permit fires when the resulting haze keeps the Pollutant Standards Index in the unhealthy range for a continuous 24 hours. By 7 pm Friday, the 24-hour PSI spanned 94 to 175 islandwide. The "very unhealthy" band starts at 201, while readings above 300 are "hazardous" and may prompt schools to shut. Grace Fu, Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said air quality may fluctuate and the PSI could hit hazardous territory, adding that the inter-monsoon should bring relief in three to four weeks.
Legal risk is rising for producers tied to Indonesian concessions, and regulators are demanding more disclosures in real time. That combination can affect operating costs, supply chains and reputations, especially for names connected to APP Group or listed on the Singapore exchange.
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