Dear Editor,
Kindly allow me some space in your newspaper for this letter. Two days ago my wife came home after doing some shopping and marketing and was very angry, shouting out ‘what is this country coming to and how will poor people survive in this oil economy, and Irfaan and Jagdeo has to do something”. After allowing her to calm down, I asked what is the problem and she reeled off a long list of items that she bought and the prices she paid. Then came the bombshell. She told me, compared to six months ago, the prices of some items have risen by as much as $1000. For example, rice was $2600 for a 5 gallon bag. It is now $3600. Cooking oil was $2000 for a 5 litre bottle. It is now $3300. Milk powder was $800 for one pound. It is now $1260. Flour, sugar, peas, potatoes, garlic, onion and all pasta products have risen by between $200 and $300. The prices of snapper, mullet, bangamary, butterfish and catfish have risen by as much as $800 to $1200.
Editor, to say I was flabbergasted is an understatement. I am aware of the supply chain crisis, but how come fish, fruits and vegetables are so expensive, and not to mention rice and sugar that we produce right here in Guyana? What is going on? How will poor people survive in this country? I shudder to think how pensioners in this country are surviving. I don’t know if we are already suffering from the resource curse, but what I do know is that the President of this country has to do something to alleviate the suffering of the poor and pensioners of this country. I do hope this letter gets his attention, or someone bring it to his attention, so that we can hear something positive from him. After all he, his cabinet, parliamentarians, businessmen and contractors do not have to worry about the high cost of living, because their bread is well buttered.
Sincerely,
Imtiaz Baccus
