JTC Usage Guidelines 2026: Navigating the 60:40 Rule & Industrial Zoning Compliance

Answer: 

Applicants are required to comply with other Government Agencies’ rules and regulations relating to JTC Usage and JTC Guideline, including but not but limited to the following:

• URA’s land use zoning and development control requirements (e.g. B1, B2, Business Park Zone and 60:40 industrial space usage requirement) (For more information, please refer to URA’s website at http://www.ura.gov.sg)

• NEA’s Code of Practice on Pollution Control (For more information, please refer to NEA’s website at http://www.nea.gov.sg)

• SCDF’s Fire Safety (Petroleum and Flammable Materials Regulations) (For more information, please refer to SCDF’s website at http://www.scdf.gov.sg)

The Applicant’s usage must be compatible with JTC Usage and JTC Guideline on zoning i.e:

• Food or food-related industries to be located within JTC’s Food Zone 

• B1 activities to be located within 100 metres buffer from JTC’s Food Zone

• Activities that fall within the List of Allowable Activities in Business Parks 

• Biomedical or biomedical-related activities to be located within JTC’s Tuas Biomedical Park 

• Activities that fall within the List of Scheduled Premises are not allowed to be located within 1 km from Tuas Biomedical Park.

• JTC Furniture or interior design-related activities to be located within JTC’s Sungei Kadut JTC Furniture Zone

The Applicant’s JTC usage should not include the following activities in the Negative List:

• Concrete industry (Change/extension of use from non-concrete to concrete is not allowed)

• Motor workshops (Change/ extension of use from non-motor workshop to motor workshop is not allowed for a workshop and flatted factory tenants/ lessees. This restriction is not applicable to land and standard factory tenants/ lessees)

• Land-based logistics industry operating predominantly as “Inland Container Depot”, ie use of open yard for storing of containers

Applicants for JTC’s waterfront land

• Waterfront land must be involved in marine industrial activities which utilise the waterfront area within the subject premises

Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

• JTC Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) guidelines require tenants conducting potentially pollutive activities, or undergoing lease renewal, assignment, or new allocation, to perform mandatory soil and groundwater investigations. ESA reports, conducted by qualified consultants, must be submitted to JTC within 6 months of lease commencement or exit to establish baseline contamination levels and ensure site remediation if necessary. 

Further Assessment List

If the Applicant’s proposed usage is one of the following, the application requires further assessment:

• Waste Management / Recycling industry

• Chemical, chemical warehousing, petrochemical and petroleum refineries

• Wood Products and Wood Furniture industry

• Activities which impose Health & Safety Buffer or Height Constraint on the surrounding area

• Usage on sites adjacent to MRT lines

• Export Processing Zone

• Motor repair activities in Standard Factory / Land sites

Question: What Activities are Listed in the JTC Scheduled Premises?

Answer: JTC Negative List 2026

• Manufacturing and storage of antibiotics;

• Concrete batching plants;

• Pre-casting yards including storage of precast materials and products;

• Spray painting in outdoors;

• Open hot works;

• Open storage and other activities that will generate pollution and dust;

• Activities that generate toxic waste or smoke, detectable scents or odours; and

• Secondary factory-converted dormitory.

1. Question: Can Showrooms be Allowed in JTC Industrial Land Developments?

Answer: Showrooms can be allowed in industrial developments under the existing guidelines. They are meant for the display of two categories of products primarily:

• Products that are not typically transacted or exchanged over the counter (e.g. cars); and

• Products that are predominantly delivered and installed off-site (e.g. floor tiles).

Under the revised guidelines, URA will only consider showroom proposals as part of a Change of Use application, after the building has obtained the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) and when the potential occupier or business operator for the spaces is known. If supported, showrooms will be approved on TP and levied Commercial “A” rates as is currently the case.

2. Question: What are INDUSTRIAL CANTEENS Within JTC / URA Industrial Developments?

Answer: Under previous guidelines, staff canteens within industrial developments were restricted to serving staff working within the same building. To expand the range of food options within industrial estates, URA will now allow such canteens to serve not only the workers of the same building but also external customers. These canteens which serve primarily workers in the industrial estate will now be termed as “industrial canteens”.

New industrial canteens will be:

• Capped at a size of 700 sqm or 5% of the total proposed Gross Floor Area (GFA) per development, whichever is lower;

• Levied Industrial “D” rates when computing Development Charge/Differential Premium; and

• Approved on Temporary Permission (TP) for up to 3 years.

All supporting uses must be kept within the 40% ancillary component of industrial developments. The 60% predominant component is safeguarded for core industrial uses such as manufacturing and warehousing.

3. Question: Can Childcare Centres be Approved in JTC Industrial Land Developments?

Answer: Childcare centres are important amenities at workplaces as they provide childcare support for working parents. Some childcare centres are located in industrial developments to serve parents working in the industrial estates. Under the revised guidelines, all childcare centres within industrial developments will be levied Civic & Community Institution (C&CI) “E” rates.

4. Question: Can Selected Commercial Uses be Approved in JTC Industrial Land Developments?

Answer: 

• URA will now allow selected commercial uses (i.e. clinic, banking hall/ATM, minimart and fitness centre/gym) in outlying industrial estates which are located far from existing commercial nodes, as these are basic amenities which serve the needs of industrial workers. 

• These commercial uses will be capped at a size of 200 sqm or 10% of the total proposed GFA per development, whichever is lower. They have to be located on the first storey of the building. If supported, the uses will be approved on TP for up to three years and levied Commercial “A” rates.

5. Question: Can E-Business and Media Uses be Allowed in JTC Industrial Land Developments?

Answer: 

• Businesses that provide telecommunications infrastructure and/or develop software (i.e. activities previously classified as Type 1 e-business), as well as core media activities, will continue to be allowed in industrial developments (see Appendix 1). These uses will be computed as part of the 60% predominant component and levied Industrial “D” rates.

• Businesses that use software to conduct business electronically, for example in marketing and consultancy work (i.e. activities previously classified as Type 2 e-business) and non-core media activities will now be regarded as commercial uses. These activities should be located in commercial premises and will no longer be allowed within the 40% ancillary component of industrial developments.

6. Question: Can Call Centres be Allowed in JTC Industrial Land Developments?

Answer: 

• Call centres are centralised backend support functions that handle a large volume of telephone services primarily targeted at providing information to meet callers’ needs. Typically, call centres require large spaces for their operations, which comprise specialised technology and equipment. Previously, only digital call centres (i.e. those that involve the use of IT) were allowed in industrial developments. With the current pervasive use of IT, this distinction is no longer meaningful.

• URA will now allow all call centres to be located in only Business Park and Business 1 developments, as part of the 60% predominant component levied Industrial “D” rates.

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