Singapore, Indonesia to set up joint task force to tackle firms linked to forest fires
Southeast Asia neighbours Singapore and Indonesia are looking into establishing a joint task force to hold companies accountable for forest fires which have caused transboundary haze.The two countries will also set up a hotline to handle any differences in bilateral issues, according to Indonesia Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir.These initiatives were announced at a joint press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (Oct 27) following a meeting between Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and his Indonesian counterpart.“Smoke can cross borders, so can money. That is why we must follow the money trail these companies have left behind,” Arrmanatha said, adding that Singapore has offered to share data on companies linked to the fires.The Indonesian foreign minister said that the joint task will link information sharing, financial intelligence, and cross-border evidence gathering, including asset recovery where possible."No border should shield those who profit from burning our forests," Arrmanatha stated.