Land Policy & Administration
In Singapore, where the majority of the population owns homes, and where properties can be used as collateral in business activities, land rights are of vital social and economic importance to the people. As such, MinLaw is committed to improving the legal framework to ensure the security and integrity of land titles. These land titles are stored with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), a statutory board under MinLaw, which is the national land registration authority for property transactions and the issuance and guarantee of land titles in Singapore.
MinLaw formulates and reviews its policies to optimise land resources and to ensure that they support national objectives. MinLaw's land administration services are provided by SLA, which is responsible for the management of 14,000 hectares of State land and about 5,000 State buildings. It is also in charge of selling and leasing land to the public and private sector, administering acquisitions and allocating land to support national development. Landowners dissatisfied with the award of compensation for land acquisitions can appeal through an independent tribunal.
Recognising the importance of providing timely and accurate land information, SLA also maintains a national database through digitised land information services, and licenses land data for online and printed street maps.
SLA also takes charge of the national land survey systems which is based on a coordinated cadastral survey system. The Land Surveyors Board provides for the registration of surveyors, practice of land survey by registered individuals and regulates corporations which supply survey services.