Indonesia

TEMPO Interactive, Bekasi: The Bekasi administration inaugurated an environmental laboratory on Sunday, March 10. The lab will be utilized to analyze river pollution in Bekasi.

“It’s a gesture that shows how serious the government is about prioritizing the environment,” said Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi.

Rahmat added that river pollution in Bekasi has reached critical levels due to industrial waste. Such indications have been evident for a long time but the government has encountered difficulties in confirming the alarming rate of pollution.

SINGAPORE - Singapore is on track to meeting its unconditional pledge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 11 per cent below 2020 levels, says Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran, who added that there are measures in place to reduce the carbon footprint of Singapore's industries.

The measures include tax incentives and third-party financing schemes which encourage private financing of energy-efficient projects.

Mr Iswaran said this in response to a question by Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam in Parliament today.

Singapore

The Ministry of Environment and Water Resources has been allocated a budget of S$1.3 billion, up 7.8 per cent from the previous year. The ministry and its agencies will:

Step up enforcement and surveillance in public areas, in a bid to deter the recalcitrant minority from littering.

Start work on five new Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters projects, including those at Sungei Tampines and the Kallang River section near St Andrew’s School.

Encourage the early turnover of older, more polluting commercial vehicles of Pre-Euro or Euro I emission standards, so as to enhance air quality here.

Singapore

SINGAPORE — Maximum court fines for recalcitrant littering offenders may be doubled, as part of efforts to deter littering, said Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu.

And to improve the standards of cleaning companies and the jobs of cleaners, the ministry will, later this year, table a Bill to introduce the mandatory licensing of all cleaning companies come next year.