Passing of Land Surveyors (Amendment) Bill 2024 to Enable Singapore-Registered Surveyors to Practice in ASEAN Jurisdictions

4 July 2024

On 6 August 2024, the Land Surveyors (Amendment) Bill 2024 (“Bill”) was passed in Parliament. The Bill will facilitate the implementation of the ASEAN Framework Arrangement for the Mutual Recognition of Surveying Qualifications (“ASEAN MRA“), as well as future Mutual Recognition Arrangements (“MRAs“) on land surveyors that Singapore may enter into. The Bill defines MRAs as bilateral or multilateral arrangements for the mutual recognition of land surveyors who are registered in their respective countries or territories and the survey work that may be performed by these land surveyors in each such country or territory that is party to the MRA.

Specifically, the Bill will:

(a) require the Land Surveyors Board (“LSB“) to maintain an annual register for foreign surveyors, as well as set out the process for registration;

(b) set out the permitted scope of work for foreign land surveyors;

(d) allow local registered surveyors to apply to be recognised by LSB, such that they can carry out survey work outside of Singapore in accordance with the relevant MRA; and

(e) increase fines and penalties to deter illegal practice and improper conduct in land surveying.

Benefits of MRAs

The present amendments for land surveyors follow 2017 statutory amendments to the legislations governing architects and professional engineers.

MRAs aims to facilitate the mobility of surveying professionals in ASEAN and promote the adoption of best practices on standards and qualifications in the field. The proposed amendments will not only facilitate local registered surveyors to practise abroad in participating jurisdictions, but also allow Singapore to benefit from the expertise and experience with specialised equipment that foreign land surveyors may have.

In particular, the ASEAN MRA will pave the way for the introduction of the ASEAN Registered Surveyor Scheme (“ARS Scheme“). While details are still under discussion, the ARS Scheme will:

(a) enable eligible Singapore-registered land surveyors to apply to be recognised as ASEAN Registered Surveyors;

(b) allow ASEAN Registered Surveyors to collaborate on land surveying projects in other ASEAN member states without having to go through the full qualification process in such states; and

(c) enable eligible overseas-based land surveyors registered under the ARS Scheme and with LSB to collaborate with a local registered surveyor on surveying projects in Singapore, and to include their names and credentials on non-cadastral survey plans/documents.

Safeguards for MRAs

The Bill and the ARS Scheme have built in safeguards to avoid any negative impact on the quality of land surveying services and competition from foreign registered surveyors. These include:

(a) imposing binding minimum requirements in terms of qualifications and work experience to be recognised as ASEAN Registered Surveyors;

(b) prohibiting foreign ASEAN Registered Surveyors from providing land surveying services in Singapore independent from a local partner; and

(c) empowering LSB to impose additional conditions on foreign land surveyors as part of their registration as registered foreign surveyors. One such intended condition is that registered foreign surveyors under the ARS Scheme may only take on one project at any one point in time.

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