Government arrears in the subsidy payments to propane gas importers is said to be the main reason for the renewed propane gas scarcity, according to a report in El Caribe. “They are not paying weekly. If they did so, this situation would not happen,” said one source who felt that scarcity is now the norm. Propane gas consumption is estimated at 22 million gallons a month. El Caribe says the government must pay the two propane distributors (Propagas and Tropigas) RD$712.5 million a month to cover the subsidy. The scarcity primarily affects the supply of propane gas for domestic use and the thousands of public transport vehicles that have reconfigured their cars to use the cheaper fuel.