Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the areas of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Annandale, East Coast Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Naresh Visson, a 48-year-old businessman said: “The cost of living has been affecting me a lot since I can’t afford certain food items. I’m working for $20,000 a week and from that I have to pay utility bill, pay bank, Internet bill and at the same time provide for my family of seven. I find that the money I’m working for is not enough to provide for my family because everything gone up in the market. When I go to the supermarket with $23,000/$33,000, the food items would come up to $38,000. I can’t afford to buy clothes now since everything gone up, just to work and eat only. For example, a 1 gallon bottle of cooking oil cost $5,800 now; before the cost was $2,800. A small sack of Karibee rice was $1,160 a couple months back, now the same sack of rice cost $2,060. Even flour, sugar – gone up. I’m buying 10 eggs for $2,000 now; a few months ago, 10 eggs cost $100. Things really expensive. Right now I’m trying to sell out my property to buy a smaller property in order to have spending money. I have a shop here but business is slow. I think the government should reduce the cost on imported items in order to help with the cost of living.”
Subhadra Hardat
Subhadra Hardat, a 42-year-old housewife said “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because if you have $5,000 you can’t buy no sort of food items for the home, especially if you have two children to provide for. I’m a family of five and my husband works as a labourer while my father-in-law is a pensioner. Sometimes I would sell plantain chips to make ends meet. Everything gone up in the market, for instance, a pack of Thunderbolt flour (4 lb) cost $500 now; a few months the same pack cost $300 and something. Look at oil price, a 2-litre bottle of oil cost $3,000 now; before the cost was $1,900. Seeing that oil price gone up, when I have to fry plantains to make plantain chips, I won’t make any sort of profit really. Now, a pound of plantains depending on the sizes cost $250/200 (fat and small ones); before the cost was $80 and $60. I would like if the government can consider reducing the price for food items.”
Niaz Hoosein
Niaz Hoosein, a 52-year-old porter said: “My wife is sickly and everything I have to do for her including working and my money I receive a week, cannot do to buy my wife medications when the Georgetown Public Hospital don’t have it. Then there is groceries I have to buy, sometimes I would have to stretch the groceries for another week to buy her medications. I would get $5,000 a day. I would have to buy items piece, piece since everything gone up in the market. For instance, now a pound of saime cost $600; a few months ago the cost was $400. A pound of karila a few months ago cost $400; now a pound of karila cost $500/$600. Even a 1 litre bottle oil gone up, garlic, onions and other food items gone up in the market, even milk price gone up. Also, taxi fare to carry my wife to GPHC is expensive too. I would like if the government can help me, every month with a hamper or money to help with my wife sickness because all food prices have gone up in the market and I can’t afford it sometimes.”
Malika King
Malika King, a 24-year-old housewife said: “The cost of living has been difficult when buying groceries for the home since all the grocery prices gone up in the market. For instance, a pound of butter cost $620 now; a few months ago the cost was $440. I have an 8 months’ baby at the moment and a big pack of Perfect pampers cost $6,000; before the cost was $4,000 and something. A Baby formula, Enfamil gone up too. I think the government should work towards reducing the cost on food items as well as the electricity cost since I’m still feeling the pressure on electricity, too, so the people can afford to buy food items at an affordable cost.”
Peter Adams
Peter Adams, a 57-year-old taxi driver said: “The cost of living is affecting me whenever I try to meet my needs, especially when buying clothes for myself. I’m living alone and I find that food items have gone up in the market. For instance, a tray of eggs cost $1,800 now; a few months back a tray of eggs cost $900. Even greens price gone up, a pound of cabbage cost $400/$500 now; before a pound of cabbage cost $120. Boulanger, Ochro – everything gone up. The cost for building materials gone up too. I’m still doing some construction in my yard and I find that building materials are expensive too. A sack of Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) cement cost $1,780 now; before the cost was $1,500/$1,400. In addition to those cost I have to pay the utility bill and that too is high. I think the government should try to do better for its people by reducing food items so people can afford to buy groceries.
Ramlakhan John
Ramlakhan John, a 64-year-old NIS pensioner said “I can’t cope with the cost of living because when I go to the shop with $5,000 to buy a few items the money finishes fast and I don’t get everything I want to buy. For instance, a small chicken cost $2,000 now and since Covid-19, the cost for chicken remain the same. Greens all gone up, I’m buying three boulanger for $500 now; before I used to get four boulanger for $500. Even pepper, tomatoes, bora gone up. The cost of living is high for everyone, I would like the government to raise the people’s salary so people can afford to buy food items. Then they can build roads and do other development for the country.”
Brian Braithwaite
Brian Braithwaite, a 46-year-old fast food vendor said: “Actually everything gone up in the market and the price is affecting a lot of people since I cater for school children and my price has to be suitable to them. I can’t raise my food price, even though prices raise on items I have to use to run my small business. Everything gone up in the market and I find it hard to buy food items to run my business. For instance, a small 750ml ketchup a couple months back cost $440; now the cost is $500. Mayonnaise all expensive. Drinking water gone up too. A case of Blue Spring water cost $1,200 a few months ago; now the cost is $1,600. A small bottle cooking gas cost $5,000 now: before the cost was $4,800. Main food items such as rice and sugar; a couple months back, a big bag of Karibee rice cost $6,000 and something; now the cost is almost $8,000 in the markets. The government should give every household some subsidy to help with the grocery cost.”
Natalie Singh
Natalie Singh, a 28-year-old housewife said: “So far all food items are high and it’s affecting me a little since not always I can afford to buy food items but I’m trying to cope with it. I’m a family of five and only my sister and husband are working.We would have to limit ourselves when shopping, so we can get the important items. All food items gone in the market, for example, a 1 litre bottle of oil cost $700 now; a few months ago, the cost was $360/$400. A small bundle of bora cost $500 now; a few months ago that small bundle cost $200. I would like the government to work on reducing the cost for food items.”
Khemraj Ruckhdeo
Khemraj Ruckhdeo, a 28-year-old fisherman said: “The money that I’m working for can’t do to buy groceries. Then I have bills to pay and rent to pay. The price for everything in the market gone up, for instance, a small bag of Karibee rice cost $2,500 now; before the cost was $1,800. Also, the cost for a 1 gallon bottle of Canola oil cost $3,500 now; before the same bottle cost $2,500. I think the government should reach out more with different communities in order to meet the need of the people.”
Dularie Charan
Dularie Charan, a 58-year-old single parent said: “Most of the groceries gone up in the market and it has been hard on me because not always I can afford to buy certain groceries. My son and I live together and he would work and provide for me, while I would try to bring in an extra income in the home by selling greens part time in the market. Everything gone up in the market, for example, a pound of chicken cost $600 now; a few months back a pound of chicken cost $350. When I used to buy $200 for a reasonable bundle of bora that would do for my family; now I’m buying $600 for three smaller bundle of bora that can’t do for my family of two. I would like if the government can reduce the cost on food items sold in the market in order for the cost of living to be affordable to everyone.”
Rita Phagoo
Rita Phagoo, a 68-year-old pensioner said: “I have kidney stones and when the Georgetown Public Hospital don’t have some of the medications I need, I would have to buy it from a pharmacy and the medication is costly now. For example, a small bottle of BRD Keling cost $3,000 now; before the cost was $2,500. Then I have to buy groceries, three small boulanger cost $500; before I used to buy three or four boulanger for $200. My family consist of six person including my three grandson and my son is not working at the moment, so my family depend on my pensions to buy groceries for the home. Everything gone up in the market. We are still feeling the cost on the utility bill. I can’t work now because I’m old and I can’t afford to reconnect my water because I can’t afford it, my family and I would use water from a neighbour. Even the light bill gone up. My son would work sometimes as a greens vendor but now he’s not working since greens are expensive in the market and he can’t afford to buy greens to sell back now. I would like if the government can help to reduce the cost for food items so the items can be more affordable to people.”
