Obviously, someone has to pay for energy subsidies, which most often is the government. This creates fiscal burden and opportunity cost for energy subsidies. Fossil-fuel subsidies can become an unbearably heavy burden on government budgets. But beside their direct costs to governments, energy subsidies also have opportunity costs. Tying up budgetary resources to support energy production and consumption means that governments divert these funds from other urgent needs such as development of public transport and social infrastructure, and improving social safety nets, healthcare and education systems.