“Singapore Religious Organisations Can Now Ballot for Land Instead of Tender, MND Announces “

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of National Development (MND) has introduced a revised framework allowing religious organisations in Singapore to ballot for land designated for places of worship, enabling them to pay at pre-determined prices that reflect fair market value. This announcement was made by Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, during a speech at the Singapore Buddhist Federation on May 28.

Addressing Rising Land Prices
The changes to the land allocation and pricing framework were prompted by consultations with religious groups concerned about the increasing costs associated with acquiring land for worship. In a previous response to a Parliamentary Question, Minister of Law K. Shanmugam indicated that competitive bidding among religious organisations had contributed to the rising prices.

It is important to note that this new framework does not apply to land designated for mosques, which are allocated directly by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) at market rates.

New Ballot System
Under the new system, religious organisations will secure land through a ballot process rather than competitive tenders. To qualify for the ballot, organisations must demonstrate a history of community-benefiting activities and a genuine need for worship space. Each qualifying organisation will receive one ballot chance, with additional chances for unsuccessful attempts in the past five years, capped at four total chances. However, organisations that have acquired new sites or renewed leases in the past two years will be excluded from participating in the ballot.

Revised Pricing Framework
The winning organisation will pay a predetermined price set by the chief valuer based on established valuation principles and professional judgment. Factors such as location, land area, and year-on-year inflation will be considered in determining this price. The MND anticipates that this new pricing will be lower than current market rates.

The updated framework aims to create a level playing field for all religious organisations in acquiring land for worship, and it is expected to benefit those renewing their leases, aligning their premiums with the new pricing structure.

Future Supply of Land
MND plans to release new land designated for places of worship later in 2023, guided by the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Master Plan. This plan aims to balance the needs for various land uses and ensure that religious sites are integrated into residential developments to meet the demands of Singaporeans.

Further details regarding the upcoming land releases and pricing will be announced in the third quarter of this year.