Stabroek News on Wednesday spoke to members of the public in the areas of Albert Street; James Street and Carmichael Street all in Georgetown about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. Their comments follow:
Douglas Carston
Douglas Carston, 32, a fruits’ vendor: “The younger folks that are growing up poor in this town, the government at least could go door to door and support them in some way; the cost of living is high for the younger ones. By the government doing this, the young ones will know that they are getting something when the day comes and not to have them out there thieving, shooting people, taking away people’s money and stuff like that. The younger ones are feeling the rise in cost of living in the country. As a person that is accustom to poor life, I’m doing my normal business when the day comes despite the rise in cost of living. The items in the market is really high. For example, a few months ago oil was $560, $360 and $460 for a medium bottle, now the prices for the same bottle of oil is sometimes $860, $1,100, $1,400 a bottle. Now the small bottle of oil is $900. Things are very expensive especially for people who have to make things to sell back. The government should at least drop the oil price to how it was before, so people can fry their chicken foot, plantain chips to sell back. The food business in a whole is getting expensive. Vendors have to end up raising their prices more to accommodate the rise in prices in the market. Even I had to raise my mango price since the plastic bags and salt gone up. Currently, a pound of salt is sold for $400. Before, that same pound cost $100 and $160. Now everything rise up in the market. This is affecting a lot of people. It is not really affecting me much because I’m not that poor, poor but it is affecting the poorer ones. When the day comes, I’m enjoying the earnings from selling fruits because I’m eating and my family is eating, also.”