SINGAPORE: Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX) issues a fresh round of queries to Singapore-listed companies with agricultural operations and plantations in Indonesia, seeking clarity on whether they are linked to the Indonesian companies issued legal notices under the Republic’s haze law.
Wilmar International was the first to respond after market close on Oct 28, saying it had no operational, supply-chain or business relationships with the 10 Indonesian companies issued preventive measure notices by Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.
The agribusiness giant disclosed that Indonesian police are conducting preliminary investigations into fires affecting about 28ha of plantation land belonging to its subsidiaries in West Kalimantan.
“Wilmar is providing full cooperation to the authorities for these investigations,” it said.
According to Wilmar, its internal investigations found that the fires had originated either outside its concession boundaries or in non-planted areas, including land farmed by local communities and conservation areas under its management.
It said it had found no evidence linking the fires to its land-preparation or land-clearing activities.
It estimated losses involving crops and oil palms at less than US$500,000.
Separately, Golden Agri-Resources reiterated in an Oct 28 filing that it would cooperate fully and transparently with the Singapore authorities and independent assessors in relation to the haze.
SGX’s additional queries followed an earlier round of questions sent to the agribusiness companies last week.
In a statement on Oct 28, SGX said the latest queries were intended to help stakeholders better assess the basis of the companies’ earlier disclosures and the extent of the impact they face.
SGX has asked companies to disclose the policies and measures put in place to monitor, prevent and respond to the fires, as well as the basis for assessing whether these measures are adequate and effective.
They must also disclose any links with the 10 firms that have received NEA preventive measure notices. — The Straits Times/ANN
