ST : S'pore rejects claim of illegal sand imports

May 11, 2010

S'pore rejects claim of illegal sand imports

It does not condone the illegal export or smuggling of sand: MND

By Jessica Cheam

THE Government has rejected a new report that suggests Singapore is importing Cambodian sand illegally and without regard for the environment.

The new report, released today by environmental group, Global Witness, claims that Cambodia's sand trade is thriving despite a recent sand export ban, and that Singapore is the primary consumer of sand exported from Cambodia.

But in a statement yesterday, the Ministry of National Development said the report 'suggests that the Singapore Government seeks to import sand without due regard to the laws or environmental impact of the source country, in this case, Cambodia'.

'This is not true. We are committed to the protection of the global environment, and we do not condone the illegal export or smuggling of sand, or any extraction of sand that is in breach of the source countries' laws and rules on environmental protection. We have not received any official notice on the ban of sand exports from Cambodia,' it added.

It said sand suppliers are private firms which buy sand from concession holders in various countries. They extract the sand after identifying locations.

The report said that despite imposing a ban on the export of sea sand, the Cambodian government's actions 'appear to have facilitated, rather than limited, dredging operations'. These activities have led to the degradation of ecosystems. Fish and crab harvests have also fallen, threatening the livelihood of local communities, it said.

It estimates the annual value of the sand trade at US$28.7 million (S$40 million) in Cambodia and US$248 million in retail value in Singapore.

In 2008, the Republic was the largest global importer of sand at 14.2 million tonnes valued at US$273 million.

Of this total, Cambodia was Singapore's No.3 sand source, providing 3.8 million tonnes or 21.5 per cent, after Vietnam at 45 per cent and Malaysia at 22 per cent, said the report, citing United Nations statistics.

At least one Singapore-registered company was named in the report as working with Cambodian dredgers to supply sand to industrial landlord JTC for its land reclamation activities.

Given Singapore's ambition to be a regional environmental leader, it is 'not doing enough to mitigate against the negative impact of its consumption of Cambodian sand', said Global Witness campaigner George Boden.

But MND yesterday rejected this, noting that contracts by JTC - which engages suppliers for its reclamation works - stipulate that the sand vendors have to act responsibly, and it sends out 'firm reminders' to them to observe source country regulations.

JTC requires sand vendors to give a statutory declaration that they are acting responsibly. It also requires that they provide various documents and licences from source countries.

In addition, Singapore Customs has procedures to check and investigate the import of all goods, including sand, at the various checkpoints, said MND.

In its report, Global Witness also alleges some concession licences were signed and stamped by an official from Singapore's embassy in Cambodia.

'The reason for an embassy official stamping this document is unclear,' wrote Global Witness.

MND said in response that 'the embassy, like other embassies, provides notarial services for the public. Document notarisation is a simple process of checking and authorising either copies of documents tendered as replicates or verification of signatures in some cases'.

MND added that the policing and enforcement of sand extraction licences is 'ultimately the responsibility of the source country. However, Singapore will continue to play its part to ensure that sand is extracted in a legal and environmentally responsible manner'.

Singapore used to source the bulk of its sand from Indonesia before the country abruptly banned all sand exports to Singapore in early 2007, citing environmental reasons. This led to a 'sand crisis' where building activity almost ground to a halt and sand prices trebled at one point.

Singapore Contractors Association president Andrew Khng said Singapore's builders have since diversified their sand sources, ranging from Vietnam to Myanmar and China.

'Sand used in concrete is sourced by the industry from various countries. As for reclamation sand, only a small minority of contractors are in this business,' he said.

When contacted, the Building and Construction Authority said: 'Our construction industry does not import concreting sand from Cambodia.'

It added that an Act was amended in Parliament recently to license the importers of essential construction materials to ensure that such imported materials meet quality standards.

jcheam@sph.com.sg