Revised Guidelines for E-Business and Media Uses in Industrial Developments

  1. The previous guidelines on e-business and media uses in industrial developments were introduced in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The e-business guidelines were intended to facilitate the growth of “e-businesses” and “dot-com” companies, which were characterised by the use of Information Technology (IT). Similarly, the media guidelines facilitated the development of the media industry in Singapore.
  2. Today, as almost all businesses use some form of IT in their business operations, the difference between “e-businesses” or “dot-com” companies and conventional commercial offices has blurred. To keep up with the changing nature of business operations, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the economic agencies, has reviewed the guidelines for e-business and media uses in industrial developments.

E-business and Media Uses

  1. Businesses that provide telecommunications infrastructure and/or develop software (i.e. activities previously classified as Type 1 e-business), as well as core media activities1, 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” rates2.
  2. 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 activities3 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.

Call Centres 

  1. 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.
  2. 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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1 Core media activities are production services which require technical facilities (e.g. studios, high-tech production equipment).

2  An overview of the uses allowed in the 60% predominant or 40% ancillary component of industrial developments is provided in Appendix 1.

3 Non-core media activities include the marketing, distribution and aggregation of digital content.

4 Development applications submitted before the effective date of 24 November 2014 resulting in an Advice or Refusal of Written Permission (RWP) will be evaluated based on the revised guidelines upon resubmission after the Advice or RWP.