Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Kitty, Georgetown about the cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Zabeeda Khan, 58-year-old vendor said: “Right now the price for everything gone up in the market and it’s affecting me a lot. The money I suppose to make when selling at the market, I’m not making and things just getting more expensive in the markets. I can’t afford to provide for my family. For instance, simple things such as tomatoes and celery gone up.
I’m buying a pound of celery at a wholesale price of $3,000 now; before the same pound cost $500/$400. And, now, I’m paying $800 per pound of tomatoes; before the cost was $200/$300. I don’t know what the government can do about this but what I can say is that my family and I are coping with the prices of food items whether it’s expensive or cheap; we have to live.”
Kady Benjamin
Kady Benjamin, 25-year-old fast food vendor said:” Everything has gone up in the market and job is hard to find right now but at the end of the day, you have to survive. To keep up with the bills and things to look after in the process, I had to find part-time jobs because food stuff in general, is high. For instance, groceries such as: rice, flour, sugar, oil…are expensive. A big bag of brown Karibee rice cost about $4,000 and something now; before the price was $2,000 and something. A big bottle of oil now cost about $5,000 and something, before the cost was $3,000 and something. I think the government need to raise people’s salary because the cost of living is high. Also, the government need to create more job for the young people because there’s a lot of young people that are coming out of school and do not have a job.”
Annette Singh
Annette Singh, 60-year-old vegetable vendor said: “Yes, everything gone up in the market but it’s not affecting me because as a vegetable vendor, I can cook my produce. I’m coping with it by consuming my greens but what happen to those who can’t afford things? The people that are affected by this are the single parents and the ones that are not working. Right now, I’m buying a pound of tomatoes for $500 in the market, before a pound of tomatoes cost $80. Then there’s cabbage, a pound of cabbage now cost $500; before the cost per pound was $100. I can’t recommend anything to the government in relation to these high prices because most farmers selling the produce are private farmer who plant to sell back. I don’t know what their expenditure looks like, in the planting of these produce. We just have to cope with it since groceries all gone up.”
Nandranie Persaud
Nandranie Persaud, a 42-year-old dry goods vendor said: “The rising cost of living is affecting me a lot because groceries raise and people don’t have money to buy cosmetics and clothing, etc. They want to buy it but the money they have can’t do to shop such items. I’m feeling it because business is slow for me and when I go to purchase items for my baby; it is expensive. For instance, a tin of Nestum now cost $2,000, before the cost was $1,600. Also, pampers, wipes, all gone up. Even the Scott toilet paper gone up. A single one was $140, now the cost is $200. I haven’t received my $25,000 the government was sharing around to households; this would’ve helped me out a little. I really would like the government to look into this. Also, for the government to look into the rise in food stuff in the market because the poor people struggling since some days I don’t sell anything.”
Seimone McAllister
Seimone McAllister said: “The cost of living has gone up in the markets.
Every time I go to the supermarket, there is a different price attached to the items. For instance, a five-litre bottle oil cost $4,300 now, before the cost was $1,800 for the same bottle of oil.
The pound pack Fernleaf milk cost $920 now, before the price was $620. Sugar all gone up in the market. Even at the shops, things are expensive. The sellers are the one who are exploiting the consumer and the salary consumers are working for can’t cover foodstuff, much less bills. I’m aware that the country is producing oil right now but what I can’t understand is why the cooking gas and Kerosene gone up so high. And, given our salary is not high, I can’t buy certain things for the home, even rent people can’t afford to pay now.
I think the government should raise people’s salary a little because we are producing oil now; supply people with some sort of stipend to aid with purchasing food items in the market. They should create more jobs for young people, right now jobs are limited. I didn’t get my $25,000 the government was sharing out per household, I really would like the government to look into this.”
Bibi Wahid
Bibi Wahid, 71-year-old pensioner said: “Some days when I go to the shop, the items are sold cheap but some days the prices per item raises. Nevertheless, I’m coping with the fluctuating prices food items are sold for in the market. We, the vendors, are selling in the market but because the market is not fully develop, business is slow. The government should look into this because vendors are vending outside the market and this has been happening for a while now.
A lot of things gone up in the markets, such as: oil, cooking gas, flour; etc. For instance, a one litre bottle of oil cost $1,500 before, now that cost for that same oil is $2,300. I live on my pension mostly. Although I sell at the market, I don’t make much because my things are not selling; business slow. And, I have to pay my utility bills and other day-to-day expenses. The government is doing its best for the people of Guyana. However, I think the government should try to carry down the prices on food items sold in the markets.”
Shazad Mohammed
Shazad Mohammed said: “A lot of things gone up in the market now. Items for the baby, for example, gone up in the market. A pack of Pampers now cost $1,600, before the cost was $1,200. Even a small tin of Nestum expensive; a tin cost $2,200 now, before the price per tin was $1,600. Things in general gone up in the market and this is affecting me since I’m spending more than I’m saving and my salary is low. Another thing is, the Kitty market has about one greens stand open when I go to shop and I would have to go to the town’s main market. This is because for a while now, the Kitty market is not completed as yet. I think the government should look into the completion of the Kitty market as well as the high prices foodstuff are sold for in the markets.”
Chidanand Khedo
Chidanand Khedo said: “I’m feeling the rise in cost, on my electricity bill mostly but in general, the cost of living is high on everything, including my medications I use daily. I normally live alone and my mother would visit sometimes. Normally I would use my refrigerator, fan and light. And, this would take my electricity bill up to $13,000 now when before the same things were used, and my electricity bill was $6,000/$7,000. Another thing is, I would normally receive a monthly sick benefit from the government and when I finished purchasing my medications I need, I would barely have money to buy foodstuff because things are expensive in the markets. For instance, one pine cost $500/$600 now, before the cost was $260/$300 for the pine. Even main things such as oil expensive. I think the government should raise people’s salary so they can buy more items in the market because I sell at my father’s stall in the Kitty market to make ends meet but still consumers are not purchasing much items. They can’t afford to buy it because their salaries are small. Another thing, the government should reduce taxes on main items.”
Sian Mitchell
Sian Mitchell, a 40-year-old single parent said: “When I go to the market this week to purchase food items, the prices differs from the next weeks’ market prices since they increase every week I go. For instance, main things such as: sugar and oil gone up in the market. A small bottle oil now cost $800, before the price was $400 and something. Now the cost per pound of sugar is $260; before the cost was $160. I quit my housekeeper job because the salary was low for me. Now I got a new job as a counter attendant and the job pays a little more but still, the salary cannot do to provide for my family. I think the government should raise people’s salary a little more.”
Jamal Zaman
Jamal Zaman said: “The cost of living affects me a little because some things are high in the market and I find that I have to spend more for it and I’m saving less. For instance, a small pack of Demerara Gold sugar cost $400 now, before the cost was $200 and something. Rice and oil all gone up. The government should at least reduce the cost on main food items that are sold in the markets.”
