Maximum fine for haze offences to be raised to S$20 million under proposed amendment of THPA

Companies that cause or contribute to overseas land or forest fires posing a risk of haze pollution in Singapore could face fines of up to S$20 million, ten times the current maximum of S$2 million, under proposed amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA).

The maximum daily fine for the main offence will increase tenfold, from S$100,000 to S$1 million, and this is capped at S$20 million.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu outlined the proposed changes to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act in Parliament on Nov. 4.

The amendments follow Singapore's most severe haze episode since 2015, with investigations into the September to October 2026 episode still ongoing.

They seek to address enforcement challenges and enable authorities to intervene earlier.

Fu said the authorities needed better ways to obtain and verify information, trace complex corporate relationships and impose meaningful consequences on errant entities, even where criminal prosecution proved difficult.

"We also need to be able to intervene earlier before haze pollution reaches Singapore," she added.

Higher fines and new civil penalties

Beyond raising the maximum fines for the main offence, the amendments will allow courts to impose additional penalties on convicted entities based on profits gained or losses avoided from committing an offence.

Other penalties under the Act will also increase proportionately.

"This increase was calibrated with reference to existing legislation and the financial scale of the companies involved," Fu said.

A new civil penalty framework will also be introduced, allowing the National Environment Agency (NEA), with the Public Prosecutor's consent, to seek penalties of up to S$10 million through civil court proceedings.

The framework provides an alternative to criminal prosecution, although entities cannot face both civil and criminal penalties for the same case.

"This will give NEA more flexibility in deciding how to deal with contraventions and to deal with those who seek to hide from our criminal jurisdiction," Fu said.

Under the amendments, the Director-General of Environmental Protection will be empowered to require entities with suspected links to haze pollution in Singapore to appoint independent assessors at their own expense.

Earlier intervention and stronger enforcement powers

The amendments will also expand the Act to cover conduct that causes or contributes to overseas land or forest fires posing a risk of haze pollution in Singapore, even if the haze has not reached the country.

This will allow authorities to take preventive action before haze reaches Singapore, with NEA assessing risks based on factors including the distance of fires from Singapore, the duration and extent of burning, and prevailing wind and weather conditions.