Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the area of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Mekeida King
Mekeida King said: “The prices of vegetables, fruits and groceries gone up in the market. Right now a pound of plantain cost about $300 and a couple months ago that same pound of plantain cost about $120. The big bottle cooking gas now cost $5,500; before that same bottle of cooking gas cost about $4,500. Things really get expensive in the market and it’s really tough on me and my family when buying food items. When I collect the money to buy groceries in the market, I end up spending more money at the market to buy the items because things have gotten expensive on basic food items I need. I think the government should lower the price for basic commodity so the cost of living can go down a little.”
Shawn Haynes
Shawn Haynes said: “What I feel the government should do is to place price control on all food items because everything gone up in the market. When you are buying food items in the market, you have to cut down on buying certain things in the market because the items are so expensive, sometimes I can’t afford to purchase them. Some days people can’t afford to pay rent. Is like you are just working to pay bills, even the utility bills gone up. A small pack of Fernleaf milk cost about $960 and $1,000 at other places, before the same pack of milk cost about $700. Things really get expensive in the market.”
C Persaud
C Persaud, a 58-year-old taxi driver said: “As a taxi driver that transport people from Vreed-en-Hoop to other places, the money I’m working for can’t do to send the children to school. Also, where I live in Belle Vue, WBD some of the residents block up the road with old vehicle and it’s affecting my family since we can’t say we are going to put out a snackette to sell to help boost sales. And, to add to that it seems like everything is down in the village because even the roads are no good. I really would like the government to do something about this. If you go in the market to purchase items, everything is expensive. For example, plantains, a pound of plantain now is $300. Before, the same pound of plantain cost about $60. Even basic things such as oil is expensive. Even down to baby products high. The government is doing a good job but I think they should work on a budget for the people, so they can be able to buy things in the market; the cost of living is high. The government even can consider placing control prices on basic food items in the market because the VAT that the people are paying, it looks like we are paying double on the VAT whenever we go to the market.”
Albert Ritchie
Albert Ritchie, a 54-year-old coconut vendor said: “Coconut prices fluctuates in the market and right now it is high since one water coconut is sold at $260, a few months ago the cost was about $200 and cheaper. Apart from that everything gone up in the market, not only in Guyana but all over the world. So it won’t be necessary to blame the farmers because the cost of living is hard for everyone. A pound of plantain right now is expensive to buy, a couple of months ago, a pound of plantain was $180, now $500 is for 2 pounds of plantain. Now everyone in the home have to work, even my children working because everything gone up in the market but I’m coping with it. I surprise to see the electricity bill so high. Sometimes, when you pay on the bill thinking that you are cleared for the month, you are not because when the bill is queried, you find you owe more on the bill. I believe the government can do better in terms of raising people’s salaries’ so they can afford to buy things in the market.”
Jone Petters
Jone Petters, a 75-year-old pensioner said: “As a pensioner, I find it very hard selling plants at my age but there is nothing I can do because the pension can’t maintain me and I can’t depend on my children to help me because they have their own bills to pay and everything gone up in the market. Oil, onions…everything gone up in the market. Even the cubes I use gone up, a pack of cubes now cost about $460, before the price was about $240. Down to plantains gone up now, a pound of plantain used to cost about $100, now 2 pounds of plantains are sold for $500. Is the people who are raising the prices so high on food items? I don’t think the government is aware that people is selling food items at a high price. The government should keep up the good work with the pensioners because they are really helping us with the pension. I recalled that when the current government came in power, they raised our pension to about $5000 and the previous government just gave us about $500 on the pension. The cost of living, I believe can never get better, we just gotta cope with it.”
Harry Singh
Harry Singh, a 55-year-old bus driver said: “Vehicle parts gone up; everything expensive in the market and farmers are selling their produce expensive. Plantains, for instance, is expensive, a pound of plantain is about $300 and now $300 is for 3 pounds of plantains. Farmers selling these things at a high price, even fish. The government should do something about these high prices items are sold for in the market.”
Andres Lall
Andres Lall, a 33-year-old repairs and accessories seller said: “Everything is expensive in the market, for instance, when I go to the supermarket, one week a two-litre bottle oil cost about $1,160 and the next week when I go back to the supermarket, the price went up to about $1,800. Clothing price all fluctuates, even soft drinks prices gone up since a 20-ounce coke cost about $200, before the price was $120. Everything gone up in the market and our salaries are the same, we can’t afford to shop things in the market and also, the people can’t afford to pay the price for our commodity if we don’t sell at a cheaper price. A lot of persons are into the phone business as us, so we have to make sure our prices are affordable to customer seeing that the cost of living for food items are expensive. The thing is when we sell at a cheaper price, we the sellers barely making back money to cover the cost we incurred for the items for resale. But we are coping. Another thing is that I think the electricity bill is too high and the place here normally would be hot and we can’t even use an air conditioner seeing that the electricity bill is high, only fan. I think the government should at least pay half of the electricity bill and that would help people a lot in battling the high prices food items are sold for in the market.”
Franko Perreira
Franko Perreira, 26-year-old barber said: “Things that I have to use in my work on the customers are expensive, for instance razor blades, a pack of razor blades cost $200 now, before I used to buy a pack for $100. Even the alcohol that I usually spray on my customers when cutting their hair is expensive, the alcohol was sold for $600 before, now that price gone up to $1,800. And let me tell you, since Covid since the price per alcohol has risen, the price hasn’t gone down. I cut hair for a lower price, $1200 compare to other places and I’m not recovering the money I paid for the materials spend to run my business but I’m coping because if you look around everything have gone up in the market. This makes it expensive for people to shop. I think the government should drop the prices for food items because every day we have to eat. Another thing is the government could do better in the distribution of house lot for poor people, some of us have to wait a long time to get the land and when we get it we have to wait 5-6 months before building on the land and with how things are expensive, the building materials are expensive. The government should look into this for people.”
Omar Khan
Omar Khan, a 51-year-old taxi driver said: “Things high right now in the market since materials used in planting crops, poultry and even the cost for parts to maintain my car for my daily earnings is expensive. I used to do poultry but I stopped because the material alone expensive and I’m not making a profit on them since people don’t want to pay the price I sell the chicken at. I had to end up selling it at a cheaper price to get it out in the market so I opted in doing taxi. When you look at the feed price too and then the profit, it doesn’t worth it. Feed starter now is sold for $7,000, before the price was $5,000. Now even the struggle to make an earning as a taxi driver can’t pay because the part alone to maintain the vehicle is expensive and my car burns a lot of gas. I want to buy a new car but things are so expensive. Is like the money is not reaching. Sometimes I lose out on customers because other drivers has a more upgraded car than mine, so they are able to flex with the price, while I can’t because I have a mortgage to pay. Even groceries all expensive, for instance, rice. I think the government should work on dropping the prices on food items so people can survive.”
Kampta Basdeo
Kampta Basdeo, a 60-year-old bus driver said: “The cost of living is high right now because everything raise in the market and it is affecting a lot of people. The gas price all expensive to refill my bus tank. Only these couple of months my wife and I are in Guyana and what I must say is not only Guyana is being affected by the high prices but other countries as well. Tyres for my car gone up. Now a tyre cost $12,000/$14,000 before it was $6,000. Things really get expensive. Things like plantains expensive. I’m buying 2 pounds of plantains for $500 now, before the price was cheaper. I know the government is doing good. However, I would like if the government can give us some support in the rising cost of living. Another thing is, in the village, Railway view, Meten-Meer-Zorg, the electricity post and the streets need fixing. The roads are in a bad state that’s how driver end up changing tires on their vehicle a lot. Even the trench are clogged inside with garbage in the village. I really would like if the government can check this out and do something for residents in this village and to help all those who need help.”
Tandeika Johnson
Tandeika Johnson, a bus driver said:” Everything get expensive in the market, things such as a pack of Demerara Gold sugar price has gone up. The price right now is $680 per pack and before it was sold for $360. It is tough for me and my family because everything gone up in the market and the bus fare hasn’t changed since 2018. Everything’s going up every day and the increase in fare is not going up, it remains the same and this is affecting me since I’m a family of 6 people. The government should include a fence structure and cash grants for the minibus operators because everything down to the maintenance of the minibus expensive, for example, a tyre change. The small business we have to go through to take loans for maintenance of our minibus is a long process for us and we take longer to receive the money.”
