Jakarta, October 28, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to establish a joint task force to strengthen cooperation in addressing forest and land fires, their environmental consequences and the cross-border haze caused by such incidents.
According to media reports Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir announced the agreement during a joint press conference with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan following their bilateral meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Nasir said the task force would focus on strengthening law enforcement against corporations proven to be responsible for triggering forest and land fires. Its responsibilities will include information sharing, financial intelligence cooperation, cross-border evidence collection and, where possible, the recovery of assets linked to the fires.
He emphasised that both countries were committed to ensuring that those responsible for the fires were held legally accountable. In the longer term, the initiative also aims to support the restoration of land and assets damaged by the fires and to trace corporate financial flows associated with the incidents.
“Smoke can spread across borders, but so can money,” Nasir said, highlighting the importance of tracking financial transactions to identify and hold those responsible accountable.
The Indonesian foreign minister welcomed Singapore’s offer to share corporate data related to forest fire cases, describing the cooperation as a valuable opportunity to strengthen enforcement efforts. He also expressed hope that the partnership could serve as a foundation for addressing other shared challenges, including under-invoicing.
Meanwhile, Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to working closely with Indonesia to combat forest and land fires and take firm action against companies found responsible. He said Singapore would make full use of available legal, regulatory and economic measures against corporations proven guilty of involvement in the fires.
The Singaporean minister also expressed confidence that enhanced coordination and information sharing through the proposed task force would help deter corporate misconduct and prevent future violations.
The agreement comes amid concerns over recurring forest fires in Indonesia, which have contributed to transboundary haze and deteriorating air quality in neighbouring countries. The initiative signals a stronger emphasis on cross-border investigations, corporate accountability and coordinated action to address the environmental and public health consequences of forest and land fires.
