Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara in Region Three about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The follow-ing are their comments:
Sandra Hardy
Sandra Hardy, a 53-year-old shopkeeper said “The rising cost of living I tell you is really hard. I think it’s the flooding and other factors affecting countries in every part of the world that is causing the rise in food prices. We plant yes, but the flooding in this area affects us badly. Another thing is you are getting the money but the money can’t do to buy certain things we need. For instance, the electricity and the water bill need to drop a little more. We need proper drainage canals in the area, which is one of the main issue in the area. We need proper street lights too, the area need to be develop more like the new scheme, Parfaite Harmonie… We need a proper playground to keep sports for the youths. Basically, the main food items that produce right here in Guyana is expensive. The government should do something about these rise in prices on food items. Look at sugar, a pound of sugar now is $200, before it was $180 a lb and even cheaper as to $100 a lb. Rice all gone up. A few months ago a pint of rice was $60, now it is $100 a pint; all other fine things gone up, even greens. Sometimes greens are cheaper and sometimes it’s expensive, even meat and gas expensive. I know that the government is trying with the roads in Canal Number One and that’s good but Canal needs more development like proper street light…, The government should look into these things in our area as well.”
Reya Ali
Reya Ali said: “Main things that we produce right here in Guyana is expensive. It depends on how your salary is. That’s how you have to buy and to buy the food stuff is hard because the prices are high in the market. Sometimes when you can buy the stuff you need, you have to buy less. If I put something aside, I still end up spending the money, I can’t save with the prices these items are sold for in the market. A pint of rice now is $100, a few months back the cost was $80. The small pack Karibee rice before was $200, now it is $300. The main stuff that is produce in Guyana is rising. My friend that buy greens and seasoning and sell back is saying the fertilizers that farmers are using to grow the eschallot and celery is causing these things to spoil faster. Also, she was shocked at prices for these items since last year…. A pound of eschallot before was $1,400 wholesale, now it has remain at $1400 a pound. Celery was $400 a pound wholesale, now it is $1,600 a pound. The government should look into these things and try to do something about these rise in prices in the market.”
Nalisia Rodrigues
Nalisia Rodrigues said: “Everything high in the market, the cost of living gone up high especially when you have children to send to primary and secondary school. Every time you have to pay money to print something for them. Also, you can’t go to the market with $10,000 anymore because now you get less for the money. Everything gone up in the market. For example, a 10kg Karibee rice cost $7,800 for a while now, I could remember like 3 years back the same rice cost $5,500, even the smaller pack of the Karibee rice expensive now. Look at the cost of sugar now, 4 pounds of sugar cost $600, before it was $460. Even oil and milk gone up. Our main groceries that we use every day, gone up. I’m lucky, yes, for the government part time job I’m currently employed with but the rising cost of living affecting me a lot because when my husband isn’t working, it is really hard on me. The $40,000 I’m collecting to clean the roadsides, is really helping a lot because I can look after my children but it can’t do to buy groceries, so when my husband is not working, it’s hard on me. The government should continue to renew the contract. It’s a good thing the government is doing for the women to get an income by providing the part-time job for us. Another thing is that the government should work towards getting the cost of living back to normal because when I finished buying things for the children, I hardly could buy groceries in the market; the cost of living is high.”
Jessie Alleyne
Jessie Alleyne, a 63-year-old pensioner said: “I have a family of four and to buy vegetables alone, is expensive. A $1,000 now can’t do to buy vegetable for my family because when I’m buying bora I get a small amount for $800. That’s not enough, I would have to stretch it with potatoes to do for my family. Even fruits expensive. When I used to buy watermelons, the cost for a small one was $100, now the cost for a watermelon is about $1,500 or 2 big ones cost $7,000. It can be really stressful at times because I trying to save money but I can’t save. I end up spending more money sometimes. Even pumpkins that used to be cheaper, is expensive now. My son is the owner of this supermarket, I would assist because he’s studying at the moment and still we don’t make the profits we should. The government should work out some sort of subsidy on main food stuff in order to reduce the rising prices on these food stuff. I mean with me, I can work around it but look at the poorer class of people, sometimes people come into the supermarket and can’t afford to buy things. The government should look into these rise in prices in the market.”
Remma Jagdeo
Remma Jagdeo said “The rising cost of living is actually hard on me and my husband because we start building our home and can’t complete it because the construction materials are expensive. Our bill will be so high, then we have to buy food items and these things are expensive. Kerosene and diesel was cheaper before, now the price per litre gone up. The price per litre of kerosene before was $60, now it’s almost $300 per litre. Diesel too gone up. Even the price for a load of sand gone up. A few months ago a load of sand cost like $10,000, now a load of sand cost $22,000. Well, I think the government should take off VAT on certain items, especially food items since the cost of living gone up high. Every day, our main items especially, sugar, rice, flour going up and we producing it right here. Things should not be so expensive mainly on food items that produced right in Guyana.”
Simone Trotman
Simone Trotman said: “The rising cost of living is affecting me a lot because before I used to go to the market with $30,000 to shop now I have to go to the market with $50,000 and $60,000; you are not including greens, fish and chicken in that amount. The prices for items in the market rise up drastically, so it is very hard on me. Another thing is Guyana Telephone and Telegraph raise their internet price without informing me. When I go to query my bill, I found out I owe more money on the bill. They can’t raise the internet bill without informing me and when the bill is queried then I found out the Blaze had moved from $10,500 to $12,000 per month. They said they did an upgrade, the government should look into this. Then you have transportation cost, before to catch a short drop car to travel from Canal to the nearby market it was $100, now that drop cost $200. The driver saying to buy the parts to maintain their vehicle is expensive, so if you don’t want to pay the price, they will see you on the road and leave you there. If you don’t work, you can’t buy food and with that low salary people receive, how could you afford all these things? Even rice all expensive. I think the government should cut down on the prices for food stuff or do something about the rise in prices for these food items in the market, so everyone can afford to buy food items at an affordable price.”
Richard Trotman
Richard Trotman, a farmer and part-time driver said: “I used to buy oil filter for my car a few months back for $7,000, now the cost is about $11,000. On top of that, to buy a brake liner for my car now is $4,000, before it was $2,500; everything gone up. I drive taxi part-time and this really affects me, especially in the main-tenance of my car. Also, as a pine farmer I plant pine in the backdam and I find that the manure price gone up. Before manure price was $1,300 a bag, now it cost $7,000 a bag. When you take out expense to run the farm, you are not leaving with anything. The one acre of land that carries pines, I would have to get like 10 bags of manure for it. It’s not like you’re getting a salary when the month come to maintain the farm. Fertilizer is expensive. I need the government to do better in terms of these high prices for items in the marketplace, I know they are trying but they should do better so everyone can afford to buy things at an affordable price in the market.”
Bibi Nauth
Bibi Nauth said: “Everything gone up in the market. A few months ago, I used to buy a 1 litre bottle of oil for $500, now it cost like $900 for the same litre. The 10 kg Karibee rice now cost $1,980, before it was $1300. I have to buy it because I need it. I can’t save because everything expensive, not just those items. Sometimes it is hard on me because right now my husband who works taxi, is not working and we are a family of six persons and it’s really hard to maintain the home. You can’t fight it, you just have to work around it to buy items you need for the home. It is not the government fault because the rising prices is a worldwide thing. My sister that lives in America said the prices are high there as well. So I will not blame the government, we just have to be patient and cope with it.”
Davie Lall
Davie Lall said:
Everything gone up in the market. Like sugar, before a 2 kg pack of Demerara gold sugar cost $480, now the 2kg pack cost $780. Diapers all gone up. A few months back, a pack of Sleepy diapers cost $4,500, now the price is $5,300 for the same pack of diapers. What I find is that I’m saving less now and spending more. I have three children going to school and a baby and it is hard saving because the cost of living is high when buying items in the market. The government should try and reduce the cost of living.”
Verona Narine
Verona Narine, a 42-year-old shop owner said: “Things are still expensive in the market although things like rice, sugar have dropped a little in the market. A 10 kg rice a few months ago was $2,100, now it cost $2,000. A 1 litre oil before was $800, now it is $600. Before, I know it was much cheaper, like $360 and $400 for the same bottle. So although these prices reduce a little, the prices are still high for the people. Everything raise up in the market. I see pumpkin price dropped a little but before the pumpkin prices were cheaper than now in the market. The cost of living affect me, yes because when people can’t afford to shop it affects the business. The government should look into the prices food items are sold at in the market because even though a $100 or $300 is taken off of certain food items, the prices for the items are still high, so as other items in the market. In general, people can’t afford to buy things in the market because of the high prices. The government should do something about this.”
