Six years after the start of the capitalization of government companies, the electricity distributors are still far from reaching the 80% collection rate that was established as the goal for the joining of forces with the private sector. Currently, only 50% of the electricity that goes out over the power grid is ever paid for. According to the El Caribe, the different distributors purchase US$90 million in electricity from the power generators, but are only collecting US$45 million from consumers. Each month, the government has to cough up about US$50 million to make up the deficit, and provide some electricity, at least, to the poorest barrios. The situation is nothing new, and the latest study carried out by technicians from the Dominican Corporation of State-owned Electrical Enterprises (CDEEE) shows how local independent power providers (IPPs) take advantage of the system and the much-debated Madrid Accord. The study points out how the buying and selling of energy is indexed to the Consumer Price Index of the United States, and that, in turn, this is indexed to the cost of #2 Fuel Oil, rather than the price of the mix of fuels used to actually produce energy in the Dominican Republic. Paying consumers are penalized with the difference.