Digital Infrastructure Bill Passed in Parliament to Strengthen Digital Economy Foundations
The Digital Infrastructure Bill (“Bill“), introduced for First Reading in Parliament on 8 September 2026, was passed on 7 October 2026. The Bill establishes two new licensing regimes to strengthen (i) the security and resilience of major cloud services and data centres (“DCs“), and (ii) the environmental sustainability of DC operations in Singapore. In doing so, the Bill will strengthen the foundations on which Singapore’s digital economy is being built and provide regulatory clarity that supports long-term infrastructure investment in Singapore.
These two licensing regimes which will be administered by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA“) are:
- Security and resilience of major DCs andCloud Service Providers (“CSPs”). The licensing will apply to specified major foundational digital infrastructure services including (i) major co-location and cloud DCs with a critical information technology (“IT“) load of at least 10 megawatts (“MW“), and (ii) major CSPs whose Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) services generate at least S$100 million in average annual revenue from users in Singapore over the three preceding years. To manage operational resilience risks, licensees will be required to implement security risk management measures, business continuity and disaster recovery plans, and report specified incidents and disruptions to IMDA.
- Environmental sustainability of DC operations. The DC operator licensing regime will apply to all operators of DCs with a critical IT load of at least 3MW across existing and new DCs. As a first step, licensees will be required to meet facility-level energy-efficiency requirements. The framework allows further requirements, including for IT equipment and water efficiency, to be introduced where necessary and following consultation with industry.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update.
Singapore and China Reaffirm Cooperation on Sustainable Finance
On 18 September 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS“) and the People’s Bank of China (“PBC“) held the 4th annual Singapore-China Green Finance Taskforce (“GFTF“) meeting, reaffirming Singapore’s and China’s commitment to advance cooperation in sustainable finance and explore emerging areas of interest. The meeting discussed joint initiatives, including (i) expanding collaboration on taxonomy interoperability beyond the mapping of green activities to cover transition activities, (ii) encouraging the issuance of green panda bonds, and (iii) leveraging technology to facilitate sustainable financing solutions.
Additional emerging areas of interest include (i) biodiversity credits; (ii) insurance solutions for climate resilience and adaptation; and (iii) carbon markets. In particular, the meeting explored innovative blended finance structure involving insurance solutions to mobilise private capital for sustainable financing, as well as opportunities to foster cross-border carbon market connectivity, and climate-resilient infrastructure development.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update.
Singapore to Enhance Tax, Business and Talent Incentives to Strengthen Singapore's Asset Management Sector
On 19 August 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS“) announced a package of three measures designed to strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness as a leading asset management hub. The announcement signals a decisive and timely response to intensifying global and regional competition and sends a clear directional message to the asset management industry ahead of Budget 2027.
Collectively, the following three measures apply a multi-pronged approach to the key considerations that shape fund managers’ jurisdictional decisions, namely, tax treatment, capital deployment and talent mobility.
- Tax exemption for profit-related returns arising from fund management services provided to qualifying funds, effective from Year of Assessment 2027;
- MAS Hedge Fund Investment Programme to better anchor hedge funds to Singapore and to support the long-term growth of Singapore’s hedge fund investment ecosystem; and
- Investment Management Track, a new immigration pathway under the Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass framework dedicated to the asset management industry, to attract top global leaders and senior asset management professionals.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update, which provides an overview of the three measures and highlights the practical significance of each of the measures.
Singapore and China Sign Nuclear Cooperation MOU
On 17 August 2026, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (“MTI“) Singapore and the China Atomic Energy Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU“) on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
The MOU facilitates capability building partnerships between Singapore and China, as part of Singapore’s engagements with international partners including the US, France, and South Korea. It supports Singapore’s development of independent capabilities to assess the potential deployment of nuclear energy and contributes to Singapore’s preparations for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (“INIR“) Phase 1 Mission in 2027. Earlier on 18 May 2026, Singapore’s MTI, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Energy Market Authority, and National Environmental Agency jointly announced that Singapore will be undertaking the INIR Phase 1 Mission, marking a key milestone in Singapore’s nuclear capability building and to develop capabilities in assessments of advanced nuclear energy technologies for power generation.
The key areas for capability building partnerships covered under the MOU include:
- safety and technical assessments of nuclear reactor technologies;
- manpower training and scientific visits;
- public education, communications, and engagement;
- nuclear safety, safeguards, and security; and
- nuclear technology applications.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update.
China's New Tax Regime for Offshore Trusts – Implications and Opportunities under the Singapore-China DTA
On 24 July 2026, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC“) took a landmark step in creating a comprehensive framework for the taxation of offshore trusts funded or controlled by PRC tax residents, as well as trusts holding PRC-situs or PRC-source assets funded by non-residents. Broadly speaking, a 20% individual income tax now applies:
- to capital gains of a trust asset at the time of asset transfer into the offshore trust;
- to income earned during the life of the offshore trust;
- to distributions and deemed distributions; and
- upon termination of the offshore trust.
Where an affected person is a tax resident of Singapore, however, he/she may fall under the protection of the Singapore-China Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (“DTA“). Under Article 13(6) of the DTA, if an individual qualifies as a Singapore tax resident under the DTA, gains from trust property transfers (other than the specified exceptions) should be taxable only in Singapore. Singapore has no capital gains tax – essentially providing an exemption from the new tax regime for offshore trusts.
The new tax regime took immediate effect upon publication and applies retroactively, potentially reaching back to trusts settled from 1 January 2023. Taxpayers were given a 90-day transition window, which closed on 22 October 2026, to regularise their tax position without incurring late payment surcharges.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update.
IMDA Issues Guidelines for Generative AI Chatbots to Ensure Transparency, Accountability and Trust
Generative artificial intelligence (“AI“) has become increasingly interwoven into consumers’ daily lives. Consumers need clear and accessible information to use these tools responsibly and confidently. However, such information may be too technical, fragmented across various sources (e.g. terms of service, privacy notices and blog posts), or may be over-simplified for marketing purposes. This leaves consumers uncertain about the tool’s limitations, negatively affecting their exercise of prudence. At the ecosystem level, such information asymmetry reduces trust, especially when minors and other vulnerable users are concerned.
As such, on 20 July 2026, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) published its Transparency Guidelines for Generative AI Chatbots (“Guidelines“). The Guidelines, which are voluntary, seek to narrow this information gap for generative AI chatbots as a starting point. They set out how chatbot deployers can provide meaningful transparency to users through a chatbot information card (“Card“). The Card functions as a single consolidated reference point, similar to a medical label, where consumers can find essential information about the chatbot. The Guidelines are organised around three key principles of the relevance, accessibility, and timeliness of the information in question.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update.
Indonesia and Singapore Sign MOU on Carbon Credits Cooperation
On 6 July 2026, Singapore and Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU“) for collaboration on carbon credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Under the MOU, both countries will exchange information and technical expertise on carbon markets, work towards an Implementation Agreement, and identify high-integrity carbon credit projects to support their respective Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update.
Singapore High Court Refuses Registration of Foreign Judgment on Gambling Debt: Venetian Macau Ltd v Hu Yangning [2026] SGHC 180
In Venetian Macau Ltd v Hu Yangning [2026] SGHC 180, decided on 4 September 2026, the Singapore High Court set aside the registration of a Hong Kong judgment for a gambling debt, holding that enforcement would be contrary to Singapore’s public policy as encapsulated in section 5(2) of the Civil Law Act 1909. Importantly, this decision was reached under the Reciprocal Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act 1959 — the sole remaining statutory regime for the registration of foreign judgments in Singapore.
This decision marks a turning point in Singapore’s jurisprudence on the enforcement of gambling debts.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update, which highlights the key takeaways of the decision and what the future may hold for the law on enforcement of foreign judgments on gambling debts.
Please note that whilst the information in this Update is correct to the best of our knowledge and belief at the time of writing, it is only intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter and should not be treated as a substitute for specific professional advice
