SINGAPORE – Businesses affected by Singapore’s worst oil spill in over a decade may soon be able to get more help to cope with the financial impact.
Ms Fu, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, said: “We understand the frustration and inconvenience that businesses have experienced due to the oil spill.” “I think we cannot take a standard approach for the businesses, and government agencies will be very prepared to listen to the plight of businesses and see how we can best help them,” she added.
The bulk of oil-soaked sand has been removed and sent to toxic waste treatment facilities for safe treatment and disposal. Booms have also been deployed to prevent oil from being washed ashore or into inland canals, she added. In the final phase of the cleanup, tar balls, which are small blobs of coagulated oil mixed in sand, will have to be removed from the beaches. Volunteers could be deployed after assessing that it is safe to do so, to relieve the cleaners and accelerate the reopening of the beaches.