Centurion Corp is likely to be impacted by the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore announcement of a Dormitory Transition Scheme (DTS) for existing dormitories approved or operational before Sept 18 2021 to transition to improved Interim Dormitory Standards (IDS). The aim is to strengthen resilience against future pandemics and enhance liveability.
Key interim specifications in the IDS include requirements for a maximum of 12 residents per apartment unit, living space of at least 3.6 sq m per resident, toilets and showers to be ensuite in the apartment units, and more stringent requirements in the isolation facilities of 1% of bed capacity in normal times and additionally 1.5% during a pandemic.
The Ministry has also specified that operators of existing dormitories have a period of four years between 2027 and 2030, beginning three years from now, to transit under the DTS. MOM has also stated it would consider providing financial support to partially defray the costs to dormitory operators of retrofitting existing buildings to meet new DTS.
Centurion Corp is likely to be impacted by the new regulations. It has already planned for partial redevelopment of two of the PBDs, Westlite Toh Guan and Westlite Mandai, sitting on long leasehold and freehold land respectively. The company received provisional permissions for the redevelopment and plans to substantially complete the added dormitory bed supply ahead of 2027, when the transition period begins.
Depending on the details and the extent of the retrofitting for each of five PBDs, which Centurion will undertak in consultation with the relevant authorities, and the planned redevelopments of Westlite
Toh Guan and Westlite Mandai, Centurion estimates a reduction of between 3% to 11% of its total PBD bed capacity in Singapore by the transition period ending 2030.
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