Operators of Public Passenger Vehicles who qualify, will start receiving the $25,000 gas grant promised by the government, within the next two weeks.

Applications for the grants which will help to cushion the rising cost of fuel, opened last month.

Some 17,000 operators are set to benefit.

While speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke said 3,000 applicants have already signed up.

He said applications will remain open until the end of August.

However, the minister’s remarks were tackled by opposition minister of transport Mikael Phillips who questioned the delay in disbursement.

Mr. Phillips said with the constant increase in the price of fuel, the value of the $25,000 dollars would have dwindled since the initial announcement of the grant.

In response Dr. Clarke said the initiative was compromised by a backlog of projects.