Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government is exploring any toughening of sand import regulations; and (b) whether the Government will consider requiring import permits for sand consignments to include environmental impact assessments in line with Singapore industry norms.
Mr Desmond Lee: The import of sand for construction and reclamation purposes is done on a commercial basis. Importers are expected to abide by the laws and regulations of the source countries. These include sourcing from legally permissible areas, obtaining the proper export documentation and permits from the relevant authorities, as well as complying with local environmental regulations governing the proper extraction and transportation within source countries. Where applicable, our agencies will check that the necessary environmental-related approvals from the source countries are in order, before contractors are allowed to commence sand imports.
Ministry of National Development
3 October 2022
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/sprs3topic?reportid=written-answer-11599
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 