The president of the National Association of Importers, Distributors and Transporters of Propane Gas and the executive vice president of the Dominican Petroleum Refinery, Pedro Pablo Cabral advocated the elimination of the government subsidy on propane gas sales. In a press conference, they said that the subsidy costs the government RD$1,500 million a year. Propane gas consumption is estimated at 26 million gallons a year, of which 40% is used by vehicles, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. If the subsidy is eliminated, the gallon of propane gas would go up from RD$6 to RD$14. Meanwhile, Rafael Camilo, director of the National Planning Office, said that the government will not increase the price of the gallon of propane gas nor of gasoline. Camilo said that the government has already said that it will not implement measures that will affect the next government and that it is up to the new government to take the package of measures necessary to guarantee sustained development. Spokesmen for the PRD favor the increase in the cost of fuel, and would like the PLD administration to take the unpopular decision of raising prices during the transition period.
