Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News on Wednesday spoke to residents on the Essequibo River island of Leguan generally about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. Their comments follow:
Mohandra Persaud
Mohandra Persaud: ‘The cost of living is high, everything has gone up in the market. Right not the farmers are getting heavy rain, and is unable to plant the paddy. It is good if the Government could consider putting another koker in, and more drainage on the island. Look at the cost of a small sack of rice…for the past few months ago, a small sack of rice was $1800, currently the same sack is $2500. I think the Government should have the sellers drop their prices a little on groceries in the market.’
Carmen Dhanraj
Carmen Dhanraj: ‘As a pensioner, the cost of living is not bothering me since I get support from my children, grandchildren, and my clothes business. However, it will mostly affect young people, teachers and mothers with lots of children, whose salaries are small. Right now de normal size cooking gas is $4,500, last few months ago it was $4,000. If you look at the world today, you will see, all over the world, the cost of living has risen. I think the government should increase the salary more for both private, and public sectors to help out, teachers and others that are working for a small amount on their salaries.’
Devon Stephan
Devon Stephan: ‘This Christmas season, many people bake like my mom, and the butter, flour, eggs have risen tremendously, however, there should be an extra cost due to the cost of living for the speed boat operators, ferry and for the vendors them… but then again the vendors on the island at times, they overdo it on the cost of item. For instance, at Parika a box of normal Crix biscuit is sold for $1,100, on the island the same biscuit, the majority of vendors sell it for $1500, $1600. I could understand that the sellers add $100 but this jump to $1500 and $1600, that’s too high. Also, the same business owners go to the … market, and buy items at a wholesale price, so they get it cheaper…when they sell the same item on the island, they raise the prices really high, especially when they hear the Government raise the public sector salary. I don’t think there is a need for them to raise their prices that high. Look at the speed boat fare to come to the island…I don’t know how gas is selling but sometimes the fare would be $500/ $700. I understand if gas raise, boat operators will raise the fare to $700 but it’s not fair for them to raise the fare when gas remains the same. The Government should allow the fare to be one standard fare like the ferry, so the price could be affordable to everyone on the island. Also, the government should send in a tax officer from GRA to monitor the hike in prices on the island… it’s good if the government could raise public sector pay, it will be good for me and of course those who are married and have kids.’
Bibi Maraj
Bibi Maraj: ‘The cost of living is high, the prices for rice, flour, sugar; etc…have gone up and my household is purchasing groceries in small portions. For instance, a few months ago, a normal white slice bread was $260, now that same bread is sold for $360…everything rise, look at rice price that is sold wholesale, right now 10 gal of rice cost $12,000, before it was $7000 for the same bag. Followed by chicken, a few months ago chicken price was $360 a lb, now its $500 a lb. The Government should control the prices of items that are sold at the shops. Also, they should increase other public servants salaries, like teachers…and others within the public sector since …groceries are expensive.’
Saheed Ayube
Saheed Ayube: ‘They should raise all public servants salary. It has some contractor’s workers who are working day to day and getting $75,000, which they are taking home $70,000…that 8% increase can’t do anything for us because we have family to take care of. I think the Government should raise the salary to one minimum wage of $120,000 and make us permanent contractors because we are not getting no benefits, no extra salary… and we are not getting commission either. Look at the foodstuff, it’s very expensive, so the 8% for public servant is not enough. For instance, a few months back a gallon of oil cost $2,800, now that same gallon of oil cost $3,800.’
Mohamed Khan
Mohamed Khan said: `As a person that travels to the US, the rise in cost of living is affecting everyone worldwide. Nobody expects the cost of living to be this high. The Government should raise the salary for both public and private sectors. They should monitor the prices of groceries sold by vendors on the island…the vendors here are doubling their prices on items. For instance, main items like the self-rising flour is sold now for $500 a pack on the island, before the price was $340 a pack…and a bottle of Wesson oil now on the island is $4,000, a few months ago it was sold for $2,800 a bottle. The government should place control prices on food items so the cost of living can be affordable to everyone.’
Shirley Ramdaia
Shirley Ramdaia: ‘The cost of living has gone up because when I buy $5000 goods from the van that pass, it’s lighter than before cause I’m holding it with one hand. Before it wasn’t like that. Look how a 4 lb Demerara golden sugar sold for now…it is $800 a bag and for the past few month it was $400 for the same bag. The Government should put control prices on every item that is sold in the market so items can be affordable to everyone’.
Chandra Ramdai
Chandra Ramdai: The cost of living is indeed high. I waste gasoline and ice when going to catch the fish to sell back because I have to sell my fish at a cheaper price, otherwise person won’t buy it. People are making the profit while buying fish cheaper, and I’m losing because I’m not making anything much…Greens – all expensive, for instance a few month ago, sometimes I would get 3 parcels of bora right on the island for $200…now the same chowmein bora is sold at $200 for 1 parcel of bora. Then there is pak-choy, before 5 was for $200, now I’m buying 3 pak-choy for $200…even chicken price gone up, chicken price now is $480 a lb, before it was $300 a lb. The Government should raise the salary for both private and public sectors, so the prices for commodities can be affordable to them. Also, they should put control prices on items.
Shazeena Mohamed
Shazeena Mohamed: ‘The Government should drop the prices on groceries in the market because oil and other items are expensive. Also, the groceries are high but workers money isn’t increasing, it is at one way. Even oil gone (and) raise, for the past few months, 1 gallon bottle oil was $2000, now that gallon bottle is sold for $5000. Then there is the rice, a big sa#ck of rice now is $10,000 and $15000, before that same sack was $5000. The Government should increase both public and private sectors salaries, and attach control prices on items in the market.
Hardai Mohamed
Hardai Mohamed: ‘The government should give the public servants a little bit more than the 8% increase so they can afford to buy items in the market. The cost of living has been affecting us tremendously as we don’t have the spending power. Everything gone up in the shop. For instance, for the past few months a bale of toilet paper cost $3200, now it is almost $4000.’