Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Crabwood Creek in Berbice about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Ganesh Prado
Ganesh Prado, a 62-year-old vegetable vendor said: “The cost of living is very high and this affects my family and I a lot since all food items have gone up in the market. Sometimes when I can’t afford to buy food items for my family, I would use my vegetables I sell to feed my family. Poor people can’t afford to buy vegetable. A couple months back, I bought a pound of cassava for $60; now a pound of cassava cost $200/$180. Couple months ago, the cost for a squash was $100; now a squash cost $500/$600. Even, potatoes, tomatoes gone up. The government should work towards reducing the cost for items farmers need every day to take off the crops so food items can be sold cheaper in the market. A labourer that works for $4,000 a day and has two children going to school cannot afford to buy vegetable with this high cost.”
Kissoon Danraj
Kissoon Danraj, a 37-yerar-old labourer said: “As a labourer I’m working for $5,000 a day and when I go to the shop to buy grocery, the cost for the items has risen a lot. When people’s salary raise, a couple morning later, the vendors raise their prices for food items. When you check how much you spent and save with the given salary, you find that the increase in salary didn’t help because the cost of living has risen higher.
Then I have four children I have to support, including my wife where three of my children goes to school and this is hard on me because the cost of living keeps rising and the shop owners and vendors keep raising the cost for food items. Even the cost for gasoline to put into the motorcar expensive. Also, the cost for car parts gone up, a couple months back the cost for a shock was $10,000; now the cost for a shock is $22,000. Also, the cost for vegetables such as squash gone up in the market, before the cost for a squash was $180; a squash cost $600 now.
The cost for pesticide, gasoline and other items used in farming have become expensive for farmers and that’s why I think food items have gone up in the market. The government should work towards helping the farmers so the cost can be reduced and farmers can sell their items at an affordable price.”
Chanphatie Deodat
Chanphatie Deodat, a 62-year-old fish vendor said: “Things really hard for me and my husband since everything has gone up in the market. We both walk and sell fish just to make ends meet.
If we don’t work, we don’t have any money to provide for the home. My fish selling slow, we only sold $5000 in fish, I bought $30,000 worth in fish. The cost for fish increase now, for example, a few months back, a pound of Snapper cost $ 460; I’m selling a pound of Snapper for $600 now. Even, the cost for split peas gone up in the market. A couple months back the cost for a pint of split peas was $120/$140; now the cost is $200/ 160/$180 some places.
The cost for a small coca cola, flour – gone up in the market. The government should reduce the cost for food items sold in the market because there are children going to school and they have to eat every day.”
Glory Raman
Glory Raman, a 69-year-old pensioner said: “Sometimes vegetable prices go down and sometimes they increase. It is very hard when buying food items for my family of six because there is so much my pension can buy. Also, my son who works sometimes take care of the family but still the money that we have can’t do to buy grocery for the home since everything gone up in the market. For instance, a few months ago a small avocado cost $300/$400; recently, I saw a small avocado selling for $600. Everything gone up in the market. The government should reduce prices for food items in the market so the items can be affordable to people.”
Kalawattie Ramphal
Kalawattie Ramphal, a 75-year-old pensioner said: “The cost for all food items gone up in the market and the high cost is affecting me a lot. I can’t do anything about it, I just have to cope with the cost of living. I’m living alone and things are so hard with me because there is so much I can buy with my pension since everything has gone up in the market. My family would help me out sometimes but still I’m feeling the high cost of living when I buy food items. For example, a few months back, a pound of flour cost $150; now I’m buying 3 pounds of flour for $1,000. Potatoes, onions, vegetables – everything gone up in the market. A few months back, 2 pounds of potatoes cost $100; now a pound of potatoes cost $140. The government is doing a good job since I’m not paying for my medication as I collect medication from the regional hospital.
Also, the government helped the school children a lot. However, I think the government should help in reducing the high cost for food items since most persons can’t afford to buy food items for the home.”
Bhannattie Hanraj
Bhannattie Hanraj said: “The weather is affecting farmers a lot and vendors are hardly getting vegetables to sell. When the food items are sold in the market, they are sold at a high cost in the market. I can’t do anything about that, instead I just have to cope with the cost of living.
The high rise in grocery items I think, has to with the in Russia and since then, everything has spiked up in the market gradually. I recently travelled to Suriname, and the prices for sardines and tomatoes are higher compared to the cost in Guyana. So it’s not just in Guyana the cost of living is high but in other countries in the world.
For example, in the nearby market, a few months ago a pound of onions cost $140; now a pound of onions cost $180. My husband and I have our own kitchen garden, so we don’t really feel the high cost for vegetable that much. But, there are other persons that are experiencing the high cost of living a lot. I think the government is doing well so far.
However, the government should consider helping people with a stipend to help purchase grocery items.”
Ramesh Hansraj
Ramesh Hansraj said: The cost of living don’t affect me since I have my own kitchen garden. I’m coping with the high cost for food items that are sold in the market.
I think the vendors in the market are indeed selling the items at a high cost. Also, it’s not only in Guyana food items are expensive but across the world. Items such as tomatoes, onions, oil and others have spiked up a lot.
I can’t say what is the cost but from going to the market with my wife, I have observed that the cost for all food items have gone up.
I think the vendors are the ones that are raising the prices in the market not the farmers. The government should look into this, other than that everything’s good. The government is doing well for the country.”
Ravin Outar
Ravin Outar, a 20-year-old tattoo artist said: “Everything gone up in the market and it’s affecting me a lot, even in my business since the prices have actually doubled on items.
The basic items I usually buy regularly to use in my business is expensive. They are: carbon sheets, needles and ink. A small bottle of coloured ink a couple months back cost $2,500; the small bottle of ink cost $5,000 now.
A needle that cost $500 before, now cost $1,000. A carbon sheet that cost $200 a few months ago; now cost $400. Also, food items have gone up in the market. The government should do something to assist the people with these high prices.”
Kevin Rodrigues
Kevin Rodrigues, a 39-year-old operator said: “The cost of living is affecting me and family a lot since I have four kids going to school to support every day. Every week I go to the supermarket/market and the cost for some items always rising and my family and I tried a lot to cope with the high price since we have to eat to survive. So, this is very difficult on us since the salary I’m working for can’t do to buy these food items. I would have to do part-time work to provide for my family.
For example, a few months ago, a 5 litre bottle of oil cost about $1,800 and something; now the same bottle of oil cost about $2,500. A few months ago, basic item like a big Colgate toothpaste cost $500 in the supermarket; now the cost for the same toothpaste cost $800/$700 some places. I think Guyana is producing a lot of resources and people should be doing better in the country, in terms of buying food items.
The government should do something about these high prices. Also, the cash grant that the government shared to every fisherman, I think the government should instead share cash grant to everybody in the household. I didn’t received my cash grant as a fisherman because I didn’t had license as I was doing fishing part-time. “
Kamlawattee Sukdeo
Kamlawattee Sukdeo, a 64-year-old housewife said: “Well the cost of living is high on everything in the market including vegetables.
I would buy more groceries before than now. If I want to buy the same quantity as before, I have to put more money. I’m a family of three, including my son who works and help provide for the home, followed by my husband who collects his monthly pension. With the combined income, still we are feeling the high cost of living. For example, a couple months ago a bottle of cooking gas cost $4,500;
I recently bought cooking gas for $5,000. Also, a few months ago, I used to buy 1 small squash for $200/$300; now a small squash cost $500. The government should do something about the cost of living by lowering the cost of food items.”
