SINGAPORE : Singapore has been cleared of any wrongdoing over
the export of what Indonesia considered organic material or waste
to Batam.
The Geneva-based Basel Convention's Secretariat said Singapore
acted in accordance with its laws, and that the export of the
material on July 27 last year did not breach the convention.
These points were made in a joint statement adopted by both
governments on Thursday.
And in the spirit of good neighbourliness, Singapore will allow the
return of the material from Indonesia.
At the centre of the dispute was 1,149 tonnes of what Indonesia
considered organic material and hazardous waste originating from a
Singapore company.
The Indonesian Environment Ministry alleged it had been dumped in
Batam.
Singapore argued it was not classifed waste but compost used as a
soil conditioner and fertiliser.
After an exchange of letters on each other's definitions, both
delegations met under the auspices of the Basel Convention on May
10 and 11.
This comes after the Convention had offered its good offices to
both countries to meet and reach an amicable resolution on this
issue.
The Convention's Secretariat said Indonesia's Environment Ministry
sent a list of hazardous waste to it on July 29 July last
year.
That was two days after the material in question was exported from
Singapore.
And Singapore only got the notification from the Convention on
August 27.
So when the Singapore company exported the material to Batam on
July 27 last year, Indonesia had not notified the Basel Convention
Secretariat and other state parties that it considered the exported
material as hazardous waste.
From the deliberations at the Convention, it was clear that
Indonesia's Environment Ministry only sent its notification to the
Secretariat a day after the materials arrived at Batam.
At the end of the two-day meeting, the Convention concluded that
Singapore had acted in accordance with its donestic laws and that
export of the material did not breach the convention.
And in the interest of resolving the issue amicably and in the
spirit of good neighbourliness, Singapore will allow the return of
the material in question.
This means the return of the material to Singapore is not regarded
as a re-export under the Convention's articles.
And to prevent any similar incidents in future, both countries
agreed to make use of the Indonesia-Singapore joint working group
on the environment. - CNA/de