Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in D’Urban Street and Campbellville in Georgetown about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Monica Chaitraj
Monica Chaitraj said: “Everything has gone up in the market and this is very expensive for me and my family when buying items from the market. My husband is the only one with a full-time job. My children have part-time jobs and their salaries goes towards their studies. My husband money goes towards the home and with these high prices food items are sold at in the market, we are not even getting to save. Then we have to pay the electricity bill. Everything gone up in the market, for example, a 1 litre bottle of oil cost $1,000 now; before the cost was $560. Vegetable all gone up, a small parcel of bora cost $500 now; a few month ago, I used to buy a big parcel of bora for $1,000. I think the government should meet with the farmers and see how they are raising their price for vegetables then try to work with the farmers, so the price for food items can be affordable to consumer. Another thing, I have been trying a while now to apply for the connection of water, but because of certain circumstance I’m faced with, I haven’t gotten through as yet. One of my family members will normally fetch water and full my water tank but the water is of no use. I’m glad if the government can assist me in applying for water.”
Anil Sewshankar
Anil Sewshankar said: “Everything gone up in the market including vegetables, the electricity bill and other grocery items. The price for food items in general have gone extra high in the market and this is affecting me a lot since I’m the breadwinner for my family. My extended family lives in a separate house within the same yard and to buy grocery for just my family of four including my wife and two children is expensive. Now, a pound of butter cost $700 and some; before the cost was $500 and something. Also, a pound of cheese cost $900; before the cost was $600 and something a pound. I think the government should help the farmers in any way they can because there is a lot of factors that affect farmers when planting vegetables, so the cost can be reduce on food items. Also, the government should reduce the price on all imported items in Guyana so grocery can be sold at a cheaper price to the consumer.”
Maxine Beete
Maxine Beete said: “The cost of living is really high since the cost for groceries have gotten expensive in the market. Only recently I bought a bottle of cooking gas and the price has risen again. Even though my daughter and I are the only persons who work for my family, the cost of living still affect us since our salary is low. A 25 pounds bottle cooking gas now cost $6,300; before the cost was $5,800. I think a tray of eggs cost about $2,000 now; a few months ago the cost was $1,100. Even a pound of celery now cost $5,000; before a pound of celery cost $2,000/$2,500. Then I have the utility bills to pay. The cheapest item I see selling now, is clothing. I think the government should give subsidies to farmers in order to reduce the cost of living, in that way, farmers will then be able to plant more, hence produce more and the prices for food items will go down in the market. Another thing the government can do is to balance the infrastructure development that they are pursuing or put a freeze on it because if we don’t have food, we can’t walk the road.”
Noel Beete
Noel Beete, a 34-year-old security guard said: “All grocery items gone up in the market, for instance, oil. A small bottle of oil cost $280/$300 now; before the cost was $180/$160/$140. This is one of the stressful products in the shop. Even construction materials expensive, now a sack of cement cost $2,500; last year a sack of cement cost $1,500. I’m a family of six and only two persons are working in the home and the salary combined cannot do to buy food items since the prices for food items increases often. The shop owners are saying there is nothing they can do but to raise their prices on food items just to make a profit, based on the cost the items are sold for by suppliers. I think the government should hold a meeting with all wholesalers and retailers in the community and try to negotiate a better price for basic food items, so the prices can be affordable to persons in the community.”
Prince Marcus
Prince Marcus, a 19-year-old barber said: “The cost of living is not really affecting me since I cope with it by working as a barber. I try my best to do what I have to do in order to cope with the cost of living. Yes, food items are high in the market because I’m spending more than I’m saving but like I said, this doesn’t really affect me because whenever the products I use in my line of work rise, the cost for services offer to customers also raise. Sometimes when customers cannot afford to cut their hair, I would flex with them and most of the times, customers don’t complain about the cost to cut their hair because the quality of work is good. For example, a big bottle of disinfectant spray that I used to spray on my machine cost $2,000/ $2,500 now, depending on the place you buy it from: before the cost was $1,800/$1,500. Also, a pack of razor blades cost $2,000/$1,700 now; before the cost was $1,200. The cost of living is high, we just have to cope with it.”
Floyd McCloggan
Floyd McCloggan, a 36-year-old barber said: “ I’m saving more when I buy items from the supplier to use in my barber shop, however, when it comes to buying food items for the home, I find I’m not getting to save since all food items have gone up in the markets. I can’t go to the supermarket with $40,000/$50,000 now to buy groceries for the home since everything has gone up in the markets. I’m a family of four. Fruits in general gone up a lot, for example, a pear cost $1,500 now; a few months ago, the cost was $1000/$400/$500/$800. Also, the cost for plantain now gone up. A pound of plantain cost $300 now; before the cost was $140. I think the government should reduce the tax on all items and then people can enjoy salary increases.”
Jessica Bassalad
Jessica Bassalad said: “Everything has skyrocket in the market and this is affecting me and family because the salary I’m working for is not enough to provide for my family. I’m a family of five including my two children. Groceries expensive in addition to that, I would sometimes buy things my kids need for school. All items gone up, for example, a 1 litre bottle of oil cost $700/$800 now; a few months ago, the cost was $400 and something. Also, the cost for a pack of Natura milk gone up now. A small pack cost $800 now; before the cost was $600. I think the government should do something about the budget since the cost for all items in the market just climbing high. Another thing is, the Chinese store that I’m work at, don’t even pay well and most persons working from 8 am to 6 pm. I think the Ministry of Labour should look into this. “
Hamid Bacchus
Hamid Bacchus, an 87-year-old pensioner said: “Items in the shop are very expensive now and the money I receive from my monthly pension cannot do to buy grocery in the market. I’m not working anywhere, I basically depend on my pension to buy food items. Everything gone up in the market. A pound of potatoes cost $160/$140 now; before a pound of potatoes cost $100. Then you have callaloo, three roots of callaloo cost $300 now; a couple months back, three roots cost $200. Even cucumbers, tomatoes gone up in the market. The government should investigate the way items are measure when place on the scale. I think vendors are not weighing certain items correctly. Also, the government should send someone to see how vendors are selling items in the market and try to help reduce the cost of living.”
Roy Pemberton
Roy Pemberton, a 40-year-old business man said: “If the bills rise higher, I have to work harder. I’m a family of four including my wife and two daughters. My wife and I sells food, drinking water and cooking gas and what I find is as fast as we make money, we have to spend it and we are barely getting to save. Sometime we end up using up our savings and then put it back since the cost for food items gone up in the market. The simple food that we make to sell back, the cost for the ingredients alone to make it, gone up. We cook two greens and greens prices fluctuates a lot. Two weeks ago, cabbage cost $500 a pound; the other week a pound of cabbage cost $600 a pound. Now the cost for cabbage drop back to $500 a pound but that price is still high as a couple mouths back, a pound of cabbage cost $300 and something. Whatever sales my wife and I make from the business, half of that goes back to expense to run the business. Then sometimes, we have other expense to cover around the home or to spend toward the kids. Even red peas for the cook-up I’m selling is expensive now. A big bag of Karibee brown rice cost $7,300 now; before the cost was $7,000. I think the government should place price control on items we are producing since the imported items are sold cheaper.”
Angela
Angela said: “To be honest our money have no value because when you go to Georgetown with $5,000 to buy food items, you only get to buy a few items versus before when you could have buy more grocery for your $5,000. For example, four boulanger now cost $400/$500; before the cost was $300 for four boulanger. Also, a pound of cabbage cost $500/$400 now; before I could have gotten 3 pounds of cabbage for $300. Even the cost per pound of tomatoes gone up, a pound of tomatoes now cost $1,000; before a pound of tomatoes cost $300. Also, transportation gone up. Imagine the family who have three children travelling every day to go to school and the transportation cost high. I’m a family of five person and groceries for my family cost about $70,000 now; before we used to spend about $30,000. I think the government should promote more local items because the imported items when taxed is very costly now.”
