SINGAPORE - A dormitory for workers in the process construction and maintenance (PCM) sector will be built near Jurong Island, to reduce travelling time to work sites.

This is among a host of new measures aimed at raising productivity in the PCM sector, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Tuesday.

The industry mainly supports the energy and chemicals sector. It also supports sectors such as power generation and the biomedical sciences.

Mr Tharman was speaking at the opening ceremony of German specialty chemicals giant Evonik's new 500 million euro (S$806.26 million) methionine plant on Jurong Island.

Other productivity-boosting measures for the PCM sector include a data sharing portal to reduce overlaps in project scheduling and smooth manpower demand in the industry.

These efforts will be led by a committe comprising major plant owners in the energy and chemicals sector, contractors from the PCM industry and relevant government agencies.

Local companies in the sector include HSL Constructor, Hiap Seng, Rotary and Hai Leck.