Usage Guidelines for JTC Premises 2026

The foundational rule governing all JTC industrial properties is the 60:40 Gross Floor Area (GFA) rule. To maintain the integrity of Singapore's manufacturing ecosystem, JTC legally requires at least 60% of a facility's total built GFA to be utilized for core industrial activities, including production lines, cleanroom fabrication, cold storage logistics, or engineering R&D labs. Supporting spaces—such as executive management suites, meeting rooms, staff canteens, and ancillary showrooms—fall under the non-industrial classification and are strictly capped at a maximum of 40% of the total GFA.

No. Independent retail shops, consumer-facing commercial showrooms, and public sales centers are strictly prohibited on JTC industrial land. A showroom may be considered for approval only if it functions purely as an ancillary facility displaying products manufactured or heavily handled on-site. The ancillary showroom must fit within the 40% non-industrial GFA cap, cannot cater to general walk-in retail traffic, and cannot involve direct counter sales to the public.

Before implementing any modification to your operational layout or trade use, you must secure approvals from multiple statutory boards. First, you must secure a Change-of-Use approval or Written Permission from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to ensure the trade matches master planning lines. Second, you must secure Industrial Allocation Clearance from the National Environment Agency (NEA) to confirm your chemical usage or emission profiles conform to local Business 1 (B1) or Business 2 (B2) environmental zoning rules.

The 1 April 2025 update tightened compliance oversight by integrating digitized spatial verification checks across all industrial portfolios. JTC now strictly audits space utilization ratios during lease renewals, assignments, and subletting applications. Any layout plan showing an expansion of non-core activities (such as excessive office footprints or passive storage) that breaches the 40% ancillary threshold will trigger immediate application rejection or enforcement penalties.

Violating usage guidelines or executing unauthorized commercial activities on JTC land triggers immediate enforcement action. Contractually, JTC will levy retroactive unauthorized usage fees calculated from the initial date of the non-permissible activity. Furthermore, persistent non-compliance provides JTC with the legal right to terminate the master lease agreement. Operating an unapproved trade also breaches national zoning regulations, rendering the business liable for prosecution and steep fines under the Singapore Planning Act.

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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Alliance Facilities Management Pte Ltd is committed to transparent, ethical and compliance-led consultancy. We do not offer, solicit or accept improper gratification, and all JTC applications are prepared based on proper business, operational, financial and regulatory merits.

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