World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Singapore and Indonesia plan joint task force on forest fires
Singapore and Indonesia agreed to work more closely to tackle illegal land burning behind the regional haze.
Their foreign ministers, Vivian Balakrishnan and Arrmanatha Nasir, met in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Fires in western Indonesia, often started to clear land for farming, have sent smoke across Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.
This year's fires are described as the worst on record in one account, and the haze has disrupted daily life and raised health concerns.
The countries plan a joint task force to share information and gather evidence across borders, with possible asset recovery from companies linked to the fires.
Singapore has offered to share company data, while Indonesia says hundreds of people and more than 50 companies face legal proceedings.
The governments say they will coordinate enforcement to hold companies accountable and deter future violations.
Singapore and Indonesia plan to establish a joint task force focused on companies linked to forest fires.
The task force is intended to support information sharing, financial intelligence and cross-border evidence gathering.
It could also help recover assets linked to companies responsible for the fires.
The announcement followed talks between the countries’ foreign ministers in Jakarta on Oct 27.
The fires have caused transboundary haze and renewed calls for stronger action.
- Who
- Singapore and Indonesia, represented by foreign ministers Vivian Balakrishnan and Arrmanatha Nasir.
- What
- They are looking to establish a joint task force to address companies linked to forest fires.
- When
- Oct 27, 2026.
- Where
- Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Why
- To strengthen cooperation against transboundary haze and hold companies responsible for forest fires accountable.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir in Jakarta.
Arrmanatha announced that the countries were looking to establish a joint task force.
- Countries
- Singapore and Indonesia
- Proposed task force
- Information sharing, financial intelligence and cross-border evidence gathering
- Possible measure
- Recovery of assets linked to companies responsible for fires
- Meeting location
- Jakarta
- Meeting date
- Oct 27, 2026
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What people are saying
Smoke can cross borders, so can money. That is why we must follow the money trail these companies have left behind,
The first victims of these fires are Indonesians. It is our farmers, our children and our families in Sumatra and Kalimantan who have to breathe the smoke first,
I can assure you that we will use every legal and regulatory power available to us, and we are ready to use legal and regulatory measures, as well as economic instruments, to stop future violations by companies,