Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in South and North Ruimveldt, Georgetown about the cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Racye Baker, a 30-year-old plantain chip vendor said: “Everything gone up in the market and wages is not increasing. I’m a sickly person, so I had to start selling plantain chips to help my mom pay the bills since everything gone up in the market. Also, I used to work with people but because of my kidney condition, I needed regular checkups at the doctor and that requires having time off regularly so that too, is why I opted in selling plantain chips. My mother works, yes, but we still have utility bills to pay and still the two income combined, is not good enough since everything gone up in the market, especially the main items I need to make my plantain chips. For instance, the price per pound of plantain cost $170 on the bunch now; before a pound of plantain cost $50, $60, $140 and $120. Even oil expensive. Last year, a five-gallon bottle oil cost $5,000, a couple months back the cost went up to $10,000; now the same bottle of oil cost almost $14,000. I think the government should raise peoples’ salary and help small businesses, especially for me because of my condition. It would really be good if the government can assist me to help with my business so I can cope with the cost of living.”
H. Marks said: “Everything gone up in the marketplace, including building materials. I’m renovating my home at the moment and when I go to the store to purchase building materials, one time it cost $150 and the next time the price is $250. Even food price fluctuates like that. Now, when I go shopping with $20,000 to purchase food items, I’m getting less items for my money compared to a year ago; everything gone up in the market. It looks like there is no price control. I see one vendor selling cheaper than the other for the same items, too. The cost of living is really hard for me and my family since I took out a loan for the renovation of my home but I can’t complete it until now because the building material is increasing every day. I had to do a secondary back up plan to purchase more building materials. I’m seeing items such as the Rock Hard cement and stones getting expensive. A sack of Rock Hard cement now cost $1,820; before the cost per sack was $1,500. Also, a ton of stones now cost $15,000; before the price was $10,000. I think the government should place price control on items and provide citizens with stipend to cope with the cost of living.
Tafari Simon, a 23-year-old food vendor said: “Everything gone up in the marketplace and it’s affecting me a lot. My food business, for example, when the main items that I have to use for the preparation of my food goes up, I have to raise my food price and when I do that people are complaining. There’s nothing I can do but to raise my price for my food. A small bag Karibee rice now cost $25,000/$22,000; before the price was $1,400. Even plantain gone up. A pound of plantain cost $300; a few months ago the cost was $120/$200 a pound. Now, when you go into the supermarket with $5,000 you can’t buy everything you need; before you could. The government should raise peoples’ salary, if items in the market can’t go down.”
Dawn Connell said: “The cost of living is really hard for me since I’m not working. I’m taking care of an elderly family member and her pension I would use to buy things for the home. And, because I’m not working, certain things I can’t buy; we are just coping. Right now one pear cost $1,000; before the price per pear was cheaper. Even meat gone up. A pound of beef cost $800 now; before the price per pound was $600. Olive oil all gone up – everything just rising in the market. My family and I are coping with it. The government should look into why the cost of living is so high and help the poor people. Another thing is, the North Ruimveldt neighborhood is really dirty since the drainage canals are clogged up and we, the citizens are paying our rates and tax. The drainage canals need cleaning.”
Simon said: “Sugar growing right here in Guyana and it is expensive. Salary is not raising but food items are raising in the marketplace. I’m a family of five, including my three children and I’m the only one working. Thanks to my kitchen garden, I’m able to plant greens, but still I have to provide for my children daily and the rest of items I have to buy for them are expensive. I can’t say I’m going to help my cousin or any other family members because items are expensive in the market. All I have to do at the moment is to cope with the cost of living. Simple things such as rice I see gone up, a normal small pack Karibee rice cost $2,000 now; before the cost was $1,300. Sugar cost 150 a pound now; before the cost was $80/$100. The government should inspect the place often where people are buying items to ascertain the standard of quality of the items sold to consumers.”
Eusi Duesbury said: “I rely on my family to send groceries for me because things are difficult on me. I can’t afford to buy things since I don’t work anywhere and sometimes when I receive money from my family, I still can’t afford to buy certain things from the market. Things gone up in the market, for example, a small pack of Natura milk now cost $540; before the cost was $400. The medium size Karibee rice now cost $2,000; a few months ago the cost was $1,700 and $1,900.The government should look into the cost of living and try to lower the cost on food items that are sold in the market.”
Jahmal Pilgrim, a 28-year-old shop owner said: “A lot of items gone up in the market. For instance, a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $2,400 now; before the cost was $1,800/$1900. The small pack rice all expensive, to add to that a small pack of Natura milk now cost $800; before the price was $560. The Fernleaf milk all expensive now. Gradually items in the market rising. Greens all expensive. The cost of living is affecting me a lot because I have to raise my price for my items in my shop and when consumers buy from me, I have to explain to them that it’s not me raising the price but I’m paying expensive for it. Some people don’t want to pay the price. Beverages all gone up in the market. A lot of resources our country have need to raise such as our currency. The government should not only promote tourism in our country but raise the value of our currency, repay the country’s debts and increase peoples’ salary so people can afford to shop.”
Andre Granvesande, a 31-year-old shop owner said: “Everything gone up in the market and it’s affecting me a lot because I find that I’m spending more money than saving. I’m also a single parent and although I have a shop, it’s hard to meet their needs on a daily basis. I find that when our country never use to produce oil, things were cheaper but now since we are producing oil, everything gone up. Basic item such as sugar, gone up. A pack of Demerara Gold sugar now cost $460/$480, before the cost was $300 and $360 for the same pack. The government should give a stipend to every household to assist in the rising cost of living. I received money for my farmland, yes but the government promised to provide a land too, to farmers but the government never did. Another thing on the public road at Last Entrance, there is an utility pole that is slanted and it needs fixing, many times I made complains to GTT and Ministry of Public Works and no one came to fix it. This can fall and who knows what’s going to happen. The government should look into this and also, the flooding in the area.”
Egon Smith, a farmer said: “The government took down names to provide us farmers with money for our cash farm and to give us a land too but so long I haven’t heard my name call. I was told I have to go into them. I still do my farming and I would sell the produce cheap to survive. However, I would brush cut peoples’ yard so I could have more income in the home. Sometimes the people don’t want to pay the price. If they really look at it, the money to pay for the cutter line spool and gas alone for my brush cutter is $1,500. Sometimes I would receive $5,000 to brush cut a yard, sometimes people pay me $3,000. Food items all expensive in the market, for example, a small pack of Natura milk cost $700 now; before the cost was $450. A small bottle of cooking oil cost $200 now; before the cost was $100. The government should raise peoples’ salary or give people some sort of stipend, even if it’s once a year to cope with the cost of living. Items are really expensive in the marketplace now.”
Richard Job, a 29-year-old construction worker said: “Everything high in the market and I’m working but the salary is small. This is affecting me because I’m a family of five including my three kids and it’s hard to maintain them. Now I can’t save money because everything in the market expensive. I usually buy greens on a daily basis for my family and I can tell you that every time I go to the market, things raise. For instance, a pound of cabbage now cost $300/$400; before the cost was $260/$300 a pound. Everything all gone up, a small bottle oil cost $400/$600/$800 now; before the cost was $260/$300. I don’t know what the government can do for us but what I can say is that I’m coping with the cost of living.”
