Circular - PPWC Lease and Regularisation

1.      As you are aware, the current lease of PPWC will be expiring in 2026. To ensure a resilient food supply chain, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been working with relevant agencies to extend the lease of PPWC to 2040.

2.     Progress To Date. Since 2022, SFA has been working closely with tenants and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to progressively address fire safety requirements. We have already installed sprinklers in common areas and linear heat detectors in shops, laying the foundation for broader rectification works. The only outstanding rectification works involve some of the shops.

3.     The extension of PPWC’s lease to 2040 is subject to the fulfilment of fire safety compliance works. Approximately 200 shops in PPWC are affected. These works include regularising past Addition & Alteration modifications which had been conducted without approval and installing in-unit sprinkler systems to meet fire safety requirements. These rectification measures must be completed by end-2026 and are critical to ensure the safety of tenants, workers and the public visiting PPWC.

5.     Support for Tenants. SFA will bear the cost of installing sprinklers at the ceiling of each shop (i.e. 1st level sprinklers) and demolish existing chillers/assets which are non-fire safety compliant. In addition, affected tenants will receive three months’ rent and Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) waivers. Swing spaces will be allocated to ensure continuity of trade. Co-funding support would be provided to tenants who need to reinstall their chillers. To ensure quality and minimise disruption, SFA-appointed contractors are working closely with the PPWC Association and affected tenants — reviewing unit layouts, polling their operational needs, and sequencing works in consultation with them. Tenants who do not wish to continue their leases may opt to exit without reinstatement obligations.

6.     Management of common area –Over time, some tenants had expanded their trading activities into common spaces without regulatory approval, narrowing escape routes and obstructing emergency access. These encroachments created fire hazards that must be rectified. SFA will work with SCDF to ensure that these fire hazards are rectified, to provide a safer environment for the tenants and visitors.

QR Code (Session 2)