Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the areas of Kuru Kuru, Yarrowkabra and Marudi on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Neisha Motilall said: “Sometimes prices for items goes up and then drop in the market because I noticed that every time I shop at the market the prices for items are different. I’m a family of six and I would buy items to sell back in the shop to feed my family and because the prices for items in the market fluctuates, sometimes I don’t make much sales. That time people don’t buy because it is expensive for them and they can’t afford to pay the price for an item when the price is high. What I would try to do though, is to help the customer to buy the items by just putting on $40 on the items so they can afford it. The other thing, when I do that I’m not making a profit, it affects my capital but I try to cope with it. Then there is spoilage and so I have to cater for. The prices for everything gone up in the market, for instance, the cost for a pound of plantain now is $240, a few months ago the cost per pound was $180. Then there is oil, a 1 litre bottle of oil cost $800 now, before the price for the same bottle of oil was $660. I don’t blame the government because the government is doing a good job. The government usually visits the Kuru Kuru area and we were able to share our opinions. The government is doing the road in here and has contributed a lot to my community, even helping the pensioners and many other things for us here in the community. So I won’t blame them for the rising cost of living. We just have to cope with the cost of living for now.”