Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Independence Street and La Parfaite Harmonie Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara about the cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Jasmattie Persaud
Jasmattie Persaud said “Everything expensive in the market now and the money can’t do to buy certain groceries and vegetables since the salary is small. The salary is not enough to feed a family now. Right now basic things such as chicken and onions gone up in the market. A pound of chicken cost $500 now; a few months ago the cost was $320 a pound. Even a pound of onions is about $500; before the cost was $100 and something a pound. Everything high in the market. The government is doing well, however, I really would like the government to look into the cost of living and how it’s affecting people and implement ways to drop the prices on basic food items sold in the market.”
Hemwantie Latchman
Hemwantie Latchman said: “Everything gone up in the market because when I go to the supermarket, I see that food items are rising but peoples’ salary is not rising. When I need the items, despite it is expensive in the supermarket, I still buy them because I need the items for my family.
All seasoning, milk, rice; everything gone up in the marketplace. For example, a small sack of Karibee rice cost $2,000 now; before the cost was $1,800. A pound pack Milex milk cost $980 now; before the cost was $600 and something. Even chicken expensive, a pound of chicken now cost $500; before a pound of chicken was $380.”
Angela Brown
Angela Brown, a 67-year-old pensioner said: “The cost of living is high. I’m a fruits and vegetables vendor and when I buy greens from wholesalers to sell back, I’m not getting good quality for my money because too much fertilizers are being used on the greens and that’s not all, the greens are sold expensive in the market. Everything gone up in the market, basic items such as garlic, onions and potatoes gone up in the market. A pound of potatoes now cost $200; before a pound of potatoes was $100/$160. Even a bag of onions cost $10,000 now; before the cost was $3,500/$4,000 per bag of onions. The government is doing well, but I think the government should help residents with some sort of money to assist in purchasing items since the cost of living is high. I would rely on my pension to restock my items to sell back to consumers. I will like if the government can assist me with some sort of money toward my small business I have. Another thing is, I didn’t receive any cash grant or hamper the government was sharing out to families. I really would like the government to look into this.”
Pauline John
Pauline John, a 51-year-old fruits and vegetables vendor said: “I’m a family of three and I can’t afford to buy certain items because groceries and greens price gone up in the market. I find that I’m spending more and saving less because the price going up for items in the market but peoples’ salary is not rising. A pound of cabbage cost $500; before the cost per pound of cabbage was $300. Even a pack of Thunderbolt flour cost $800; before the pack cost $460. The price for a 1 litre bottle oil all gone up in the market. The government should try to drop the price on basic food items sold in the market. If the price for food items are affecting my family, what about an extended family?”
Colleen Williams
Colleen Williams, a 51-year old cleaner said: “My salary is low and when I go to buy groceries, the money is not enough to buy the groceries I need since everything in the market is expensive. Also, I have a mortgage to pay and the salary I’m receiving is no kind of money to sustain my family of two. Even cooking oil expensive, a small bottle of oil now cost $900; before the cost was $400. A big Colgate toothpaste cost $900 now; before the toothpaste was cheaper. Milk all expensive. The government should consider raising peoples’ salary so we can afford to buy groceries.”
Shazie Persaud
Shazie Persaud, a 43-year-old shop owner said: “The cost of living as a single parent of three children is hard to manage because everything is expensive in the market. In addition, I have my mother who can’t work because of her finger disability, so with her pension and the little from my shop I take care of her. I had to quit working with people and open a shop to provide for the home and the kids because the salary I was receiving when working with people was low. Even though I have a shop, business is slow, I barely get sales and people are crying out how the items are expensive, so I would explain to them that the wholesalers are raising their price too. People preferred to buy at the Chinese’s supermarket and there is where most of the sales going. Basic items such as Chicken and eggs are expensive. A pound of chicken now cost $500; before the cost was $400/$380. A tray of eggs cost $1,500 now; before the cost was $1,200. The government should consider dropping taxes, the less tax we pay, the better for us since people need help. I have a shop, yes but I still need help too, the persons who need help they don’t get help. The government need to look into this.”
Marlon Miller
Marlon Miller, a 53-year old mason and carpenter said: “The cost of living is affecting a lot of people because every time you go to the shop, the price per item increases. This high price, I’m adding to my budget every time I go to the shop to buy groceries. The items are so high that I can’t afford it. It seems the shop owners are doing this for fun. Also, the wages are low and that can’t buy my groceries. I had to quit my job because of that, now I’m not working and jobs are hard to find when you don’t have a sound academic education. Now in the home, both the husband and wife have to work to sustain the home. I have five children and I can tell you that the transportation cost for them to travel to go to school every day is expensive. Transportation from La Parfaite Harmonie Housing Scheme to the head of the road is $200; before my kids used to pay $60/$40. Now I’m paying the same $200 to go to Georgetown; before the cost per transportation from La Parfaite to Georgetown was $140/$160. In the evening, the drivers would usually raise the fare to $300. Drivers are complaining that the gas prices are high but when the gas price drop, they still calling for the same money. Everything expensive in the market, even rice and sugar expensive. A small sack of Karibee rice cost $2,200 now; before the cost was $1,300/$1,700 for the same sack. The government should raise peoples’ salary and create more jobs, especially for young people since jobs are not available for them when they finish school. What’s the use parents spending money on their children’s education and afterwards they can’t find a job. The government need to do something about this. Another thing, a road in front my gap in La Parfaite Harmonie shows poor infrastructure. The road looks like a trail. The government should look into this.”
Nandanie Lall
Nandanie Lall said: “When you go to the supermarket prices per items are high, including greens and cooking gas. It is hard to pay for food items when the salary is small. The amount you have to budget for can’t match your salary. I’m not working since the job I had, the salary was small so I’m living with my grandmother and she receives her pension, so we shop with that. These days working in a store, the timings are stretched out into the evenings and the pay is not good. As such, I left because the salary can’t pay for my groceries. Now the cost for a small bottle of cooking oil cost $700; before the cost was $500 and something. Even a normal bottle of cooking oil cost $4,800; before the cost was $3,000 and something. I think the government should look into the salary these store owners are paying their employee followed by the timings worked.”
D. Alexander
D. Alexander, a 63-year-old greens vendor said: “Everything gone up in the market, especially eggs and chicken. A tray of eggs now cost $1,800; before the cost was $1,200/ $1,000. A pound of chicken now cost $500; before the cost per pound of chicken was $400/ $380. I just have to work harder since the price of food items is high. Sometimes I would have to explain to consumers that prices have risen for food items and I have to make a profit too. Most people I find, can’t afford to buy the food items for the given prices because peoples’ salary is small. Even transportation cost high. People credit sometimes from me because they don’t have money right away to pay and this affects me a little. The government should stabilize the rising cost of living by raising peoples’ salary so they can buy food items.”
Desmond Ramchan
Desmond Ramchan said: “I’m not working anywhere. I’m a pensioner and I can tell you that everything gone up in the market. I do a side hustle with my wife just to make ends meet. The kids are married, it’s just my wife and I living in the home. I find that when consumers buy from us, they cry out how the items are expensive and I would usually explain to them that the prices at which I buy the items for, is expensive. We just have to cope with the cost of living. It’s not the government to be blame for the high price in the market but the wholesalers and retailers are. The government should do something about this.”
