199 9.2 Land acquisition policies in Singapore A former British colony, in 1819 the land office was set up which is now a part of the Singapore Land Authority. The city-state became an independent republic only in 1965 but since then has come a long way in its land allocation and development system. The initial years of Singapore’s independence had fragmented land ownership which made it nearly impossible to redevelop the city comprehensively and came to be known as a period of confusion and chaos. Following the footsteps of the British, modern Singapore continued issuing leasehold leases of up to 99 years. Sites were usually sold on 99-year leases for commercial, hotel, and private residential development, whereas leases for industrial sites are usually for 60 years or less. The lease tenure for other types of sites varies depending on the uses. The usual sale method is through public tender. Presently, this tenure policy is preserved in Rule 10 of the State Lands Rules of the State Lands Act (Cap. 314, Section 3), which states that “the title ordinarily to be issued shall be a lease for a term not exceeding 99 years, except that where the land is not capable of independent development and is required for development with the applicant’s land, the title may be the same
Singapore’s first Land use plan (Source: Planning authorities website)
Mariette Llewellyn Vanessa Robin
