Singapore, Nov. 5 -- Singapore's Parliament on November 4 debated and passed amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, strengthening enforcement powers, increasing penalties and introducing tougher measures against companies linked to air pollution caused by forest fires.

Under the amendments, offences under the Act will be classified as arrestable offences, while courts will be allowed to conduct trials in absentia against defendants based overseas or those who cannot be contacted. Fines for companies failing to comply with regulations will increase tenfold to nearly 800,000 USD per day, while the maximum penalty will rise to more than 15.6 million USD.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said Singapore n...