Government increases industrial land supply in second half to 13.9 ha

THE Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Friday announced that it will launch eight sites on the Confirmed List and six sites on the Reserve List, with a total site area of 13.9 ha, under its Industrial Government Land Sales (IGLS) programme for the second half of 2017.

This is an increase in industrial land supply compared with the first half of this year, which saw the government release six sites on the Confirmed List and five sites on the Reserve List, spanning 11.25 ha in all.

It is also higher than the corresponding period a year ago. In the second half of 2016, the government released seven sites on the Confirmed List and five sites on the Reserve List, totalling 11.7 ha.

Sites on the Confirmed List are launched according to schedule, regardless of demand; while sites on the Reserve List are launched only upon successful application by a developer or when there is sufficient market interest in them.

On Friday, MTI also said that it has waived the requirements for a set of minimum building specification requirements on IGLS land (eg providing a minimum number of goods lifts and loading bays) for small IGLS plots. Such plots are typically below one ha, and are meant for end-users to build developments for their own operations.

"With the waiver, end-users will have more flexibility to customise their developments to suit their operations. To ensure that such plots continue to be used primarily for end-users' own operations, successful tenderers (or subsequent owners) will not be allowed to strata subdivide the developments for sale to other companies for the full tenure," it said.

Currently, strata subdivision is prohibited for five years from the award of the temporary occupation permit.

The minimum building specification requirements will continue to apply to the larger IGLS plots, which are meant for developers to build multiple-user factories.