Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre shops must comply with fire safety rules to secure lease extension

SINGAPORE - All shops selling fruits, vegetables and dried goods at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre will have until the end of 2026 to comply with fire safety requirements for a lease extension to be granted.

The lease for the wholesale centre, which has 1,200 units including about 200 shops, expires that year. The other units comprise facilities such as cold rooms.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a statement on Aug 29 that it is working with the relevant agencies to extend the wholesale centre’s lease till 2040, but that it must “rectify all fire safety non-compliances by end-2026”.

SFA also said it will be extending the lease of the Jurong Fishery Port until 2040. The lease for Singapore’s only fishery port was previously slated to end in 2030.

The agency said it has completed the installation of sprinklers in common areas and heat detectors in shops at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. This lays the foundation for broader rectification works, said SFA, adding that the only outstanding rectification works involve the shops.

SFA said the shops will have to remove modifications made without approval, and install in-unit sprinkler systems.

“These rectifications are critical to ensure the safety of tenants, workers and the public visiting Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre,” said SFA.

The agency said it will support tenants by bearing the cost of installing sprinklers on the ceiling of each shop and demolishing existing non-fire safety compliant assets such as chillers.

“In addition, affected tenants will receive three months’ rent and service and conservancy charges waivers,” SFA added.

The three-month waiver is based on how long the agency has projected the rectification will take.

SFA said it expects to progressively complete additional works that include demolishing non-fire safety compliant assets from units to facilitate the installation of sprinklers between now and end-2026.

It will also ensure that affected tenants have spaces to continue doing business and provide co-funding support for tenants who need to reinstall their chillers.

SFA highlighted that some tenants had expanded their trading activities into common spaces, affecting escape routes and obstructing fire safety provisions.

The agency said it has been working with each tenant and the Singapore Civil Defence Force since 2022 to progressively address fire safety requirements.

Said SFA: “To ensure quality and minimise disruption, SFA-appointed contractors are working closely with the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre 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,” the agency added.

Yellow boxes will also be implemented to manage common spaces to avoid clutter.

There have been no major fires since the wholesale centre opened in 1983.

But in 2023, the Auditor-General’s Office flagged fire safety violations that occurred under managing agents that SFA had contracted to run the wholesale centre.

Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Zaqy Mohamad met the first batch of tenants to be informed of the plans on the morning of Aug 29, where he announced the support packages and the lease extension.

He said it is crucial for the wholesale centre to be upgraded, rejuvenated and future-ready to support resiliency in Singapore’s food supply chain.

He added: “Though there may be some inconveniences during the regularisation works at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, SFA will continue to work closely with stakeholders involved and provide the necessary assistance to ensure business continuity and minimise disruptions.”

Mr Jerry Tan, managing director of fruit and vegetable trading firm Hu Lee Impex, has 12 units at the centre. He said some inaction by the tenants over fire safety violations had stemmed from uncertainty over the fate of the premises.

“Several were uncertain about the lease expiration date as well as the length of the extension, so they were hesitant to invest in upgrades,” said the vice-chairman of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers and Exporters Association.

“With a clear answer now, tenants can feel more secure that they can continue their businesses.”

As far as Mr Tan can recall, only one small fire has broken out in a unit since Hu Lee Impex moved into the wholesale centre in the 1980s. This was put out by the unit’s neighbours.

He said the support package was helpful for small-scale businesses, as some had decades-old cold units and have no space to operate without SFA’s intervention.

Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre was built in phases between 1981 and 1984 to house wholesalers of fruits, vegetables and dried foodstuffs who had to relocate from the city due to urban redevelopment.

Initially run by the Housing Board, it was handed to the former Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority in 2018, which was reorganised to form SFA the following year.

Today, it serves as a distribution node for wet markets, supermarkets and the food and beverage sector.

Meanwhile, Jurong Fishery Port became the sole hub for receiving, processing and distributing imported seafood after the closure of Senoko Fishery Port in March 2024.

The port, opened in 1969, has 130 market lots, a 400m-long wharf and supporting facilities, including shops, storage lots and ice-crusher stalls.