Message From Chairman And Chief Executive

As we take stock of 2017, the oftheld adage that we are living in an unpredictable world inhabited by black swans and grey rhinos cannot be more true.

In this increasingly volatile and uncertain operational environment, the Singapore Public Service has embarked on the next phase of development, characterised by innovation, adaptability, integrity and values, to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans. Interconnectivity and the disruption to traditional workflows and mindsets, accelerated by technology, has forced many of us to adapt and change mindsets. And it has also raised our citizens’ expectations for public service delivery. But at the same time, it has given us a prime opportunity to improve and enhance ourselves. As the regulatory agency for State land and property ownership, a vital resource in our land-scarce nation, it is imperative that all of us at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) continue to build an organisation that is relevant and future ready to serve the public in a pro-enterprise and proactive manner.

Today, SLA is deepening our inhouse capabilities, with a focus on people development and embracing technology to help us serve our customers better. Our commitment to being Future Ready sees us driving geospatial innovation by setting up an innovation hub – GeoWorks – and developing Virtual Singapore together with our 3D national mapping efforts in our journey towards a Smart Nation. Our innovative solutions extend to the use of new technology to raise productivity in the management of State land and properties, and propel us towards a truly paperless property registration and conveyance process.

This year, we also launched the SLA Service Charter which puts the customer at the centre of everything we do. Being service-oriented and citizen-centric means speaking with one voice as One Public Service, working across agencies to solve issues and problems faced by our citizens. We are heartened that our efforts have paid off, as SLA was ranked 1st place in the Pro-Enterprise Ranking (PER) Survey in 2017, and our staff recognised for excellence in Municipal Services at the Municipal Services Awards 2017 organised by the Municipal Services Office (MSO). This would not have been possible without the firm commitment and dedication from SLA staff who serve daily on the frontline as our ambassadors, giving that additional personal touch to the work we do.

Our roles have continued to evolve. State land and properties hold tremendous potential and possibilities. As its custodian, we constantly challenge ourselves to creatively transform these spaces and unlock value from State land and properties. We believe in the value of creating communities. Taking on the role of interim use master planner, SLA has embarked on various place-making initiatives, from co-creation and consultation with grassroots organisations on the conversion of unutilised State land to recreational spaces for the benefit of the community, to conducting guided tours that offer the public rare access to heritage State properties, and working with our tenants and relevant stakeholders to inject vibrancy into the property clusters we manage, Chip Bee Gardens and Tanglin Village to name a few.

At SLA, we recognise that transformation is a collective responsibility and a continuous process. We must and will strive to do better to serve our citizens today and the future generations to come. We are pleased to present the SLA Annual Report 2017/2018. We hope you will enjoy reading it.