The removal of subsidies resulted in public financial gains, as the government was able to save the equivalent of 2.5% of GDP (OECD, 2010). While the purpose of fossil fuel subsidy reform was not environmental protection, it did create a boost in clean energy generation by removing price distortions for conventional and clean fuels. The subsidy reform was also hailed for its compensatory measures that helped cushion consumers from rising living costs (OECD, 2010).