Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Alexander Village, Georgetown about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Awattie Mohan
Awattie Mohan said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot since the cost for all items in the market gone up. You can’t say you going to the market with $10,000 to purchase couple food items because you won’t get all the items you need. My daughter is the only person working within the home. Then, she puts aside money to pay rent monthly and to buy food items for the home. Also, with the part-time self-employed job my daughter has plus her outside job, the combined salary can’t do to provide for her family with the high cost of living. I find that everything gone up in the market. When a pack of Fernleaf milk (400 grammes) a few months ago cost $800 and something; now the same pack of milk cost $1,000. Even the cost for a pack of Milex milk expensive now. Also, a small bag of Karibee rice that cost $1,360 before; now cost $2,300. I think the government should reduce the price for food items in the market since everything is expensive now in the market, especially, rent.”
Rafeek Mohamed
Rafeek Mohamed, a pensioner said: “The cost of living is really hard and since we don’t work anywhere, we try to survive on our monthly pension. Also, everything has risen in the market. We have to buy cooking- gas and other items. Recently all our food items finished so we had to make sure we had the money to buy grocery items. Then we have utility bills to pay. We don’t have internet so we don’t have to worry about that. All food items has risen in the market. A 20 lbs cooking gas that cost $4,800 a few months ago, now cost $5000. Also, a few months ago a small bag of Karibee rice that cost $1,700, now gone up to $2,200 and something now. When I go to buy vegetables, all the vegetables are sold for $500, there is nothing that cost $200. Bora, Boulanger and other greens cost $500. The monthly pension is not enough for us to survive on and this is hard on us. I would like the government to consider supplying food hampers to every household to help with the cost of living.”
Monica Sarjoo
Monica Sarjoo, a pensioner said: “I’m a widow and I live alone so I depend on my monthly pension and survival benefits from my deceased husband to buy items from the market. My kids are all married and live away from me so I’m living alone. When I go to the supermarket, the cost for something always rising, it is how much you can buy and put up. Sometimes the vegetables don’t keep as long as you want it to when I purchase the vegetable using a lump sum of money. The benefits I’m getting cannot do for me to survive on because when I buy two items, pay my utility bills, pay the cost for maintaining my property, the money finished. Vegetable such as tomatoes gone up in the market. A pound of tomatoes a few months ago cost $600 and before that, I used to buy like 3 pounds of tomatoes for $100; now a pound of tomatoes cost $1,000. Also, a pound of eschalot that cost $200 before; now cost $500/$600. The cost for a tin of evaporated milk before was $200; now a tin of evaporated milk cost $360. I’m waiting to see if the government will raise the survival benefit because this will be good for me. Also, I think the government should provide every household with a monthly hamper to help with the high cost of living.”
Raynella Sarjoo
Raynella Sarjoo, a 44-year-old single parent said: “Every time I go to the market, the food items carries a different price. This is hard on me since I’m a single parent of two children who attend school. As a self-employed person, I try to cope with the cost of living by budgeting and buying items for my daughters and I. Greens going up every day, I don’t think Guyana has bad weather at the moment and I don’t understand why the prices for greens are sold at a high price in the market. Also, the cost drinking water is sold at for everyday uses in the home has gone up. A bottle of drinking water that cost $150/$200 at Bank DIH Ltd a few months ago, now cost $300. A pound of onions a couple months back cost $150/$100; now a pound of onions cost $300. I noticed that every time I enter a supermarket, items always going up. We, the consumer, don’t have a problem with the retailers buying items to sell back but they are just raising the prices on items, like it is ok for consumers. I think representatives from the government should come out and monitor the price food items are sold for at markets, supermarkets and local shops. Even the cost for a shaver rise up to $100; before the cost was $40.”
Anil Henry
Anil Henry, a 50-year-old construction worker said: “The cost of living is not only affecting my family but everyone across the world. Only recently, I got some construction work and this is really hard for my family since all items in the market going up but the salary is not raising. My daughter and I are the only persons that are working in the home at the moment. I’m a family consisting of four persons. Sometime people can’t even afford to pay you the money, you are calling for the work. Everything gone up in the market. For example, a few months ago a 5-litre oil cost $2,800; now the same bottle of oil cost $3,400. A small hand bag Karibee rice a few months ago cost $1,200/$1,300; now that same Karibee rice cost $2,300 now. I think the government should lower the cost for all food items because the salary is not rising but everything else keeps rising.”
Alex Jaime
Alex Jaime, a 24-year-old attendant said: “The cost of living is really high right now and my salary can’t do to cover all the expenses. The cost for all food items are high in the market. I’m a family of three persons and my aunt, cousin and I, would pool our money together from our earnings to cope with the cost of living. Right now, the cost for a tray of eggs gone up in the market. A tray of eggs a few months ago cost $1,200; now a tray of eggs cost $1,500/$2,000 at some places. Also, a pound of chicken that cost $300 and something a few months ago; now cost $500. I think the government should help the people by reducing the cost for all food items.”
Compton Bourne
Compton Bourne, a pensioner said: “I normally don’t do the shopping in the home but I heard that the prices for items in the market gone up. I’m left alone with my friends’ daughter and I decided to cook soup. When I went to the market, I was shocked at the high cost of the ingredients to make the soup. For example, a while back, a pound of beef cost $300/$400; now 2 pounds of beef cost $1,600 in the market. Also, a while back I used to get a mixture of celery and eschalot at a cost of $200; now I’m buying 2 blades of eschalot for $200. I heard the government offering part-time jobs to one person from every house. I didn’t know about that until recently. I would really like the government to continue with offering part-time jobs to people as this will help a lot with the cost of living. “
Arjune Sukhu
Arjune Sukhu, a pensioner said: “The cost of living is affecting my wife and I a lot since salary is not rising but items in the market keeps rising rapidly. Both my wife and I are pensioners and the money that we collect every month, cannot do for us. For example, a 20 lb cooking gas cylinder cost $4,500 a few months ago; now the same cylinder cost $5,000. Also, a pound of chicken a few months ago cost $300; now a pound of chicken cost $600. Even the cost for a pound of butter gone up. I think the government should raise the people’s salary because when people can’t provide for the home, you find the family having a lot of conflicts where some conflicts can result in murder. Even stealing.”
Nazimul Mustapha
1Nazimul Mustapha, a 56-year-old jeweller said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because now I have to double up on my money when buying food items from the market. I’m a family of five including my wife and three children. Now we have to budget on food items for the home to cope with the cost of living. Transportation cost all high when the children travelling to go to school. Sometimes when I do grocery shopping for the month, I still have to do a top up at the end of the week when items run out. Then the salary is low and the type of job I do, I have to look at the fluctuation of prices of gold sold in the market often so we can give customers a good estimate for the job so I can get a fair income. Right now, gold price decreased a lot and I have to continue to cope with the cost of living. Vegetables in general fluctuates and other grocery items gone up in the market. For example, a pound of tomatoes that cost $800 a few months ago; now cost $1,200. Also, three bundle of callaloo a few months ago cost $200; now the same bundle of callaloo cost $500. I think the government should do something about the money value because today people are getting less items for $5,000.”
Ronaldo Changa
Ronaldo Changa said: “The money people are working for should raise if the cost for food items are raising in the market. It is not fair; people can’t pay their rent and send their children to school. The government has to look into this. Persons are working for $15,000 a week and from that they have to stand the cost for transportation for their children to go to school, snacks and certain fees to pay. I may be in a position where I can cope with the cost of living but other persons out there are finding it difficult when coping with the cost of living. I don’t have a choice, if I see certain items selling expensive in the market I still have to buy it despite my low salary. I’m living alone. Sometimes the high cost of living makes a woman do unimaginable things, just to provide for her kids since the cost for everything has risen in the market. For example, a small sack of Karibee rice a few months ago cost $1,400/$1,600/$1,800; now the same sack of rice cost $2,300/$2,400. A pound of tomatoes that cost $300 a few months ago; now cost $800. I think the government should make sure that food items are sold at a cheaper cost to the people, so mothers can afford to take care of their children the way they should, in order for the children to receive a sound education. Also, to ensure the contract the government undertake, produce good quality and to ensure these works when completed are monitored, in case of any additional maintenance work that need to be done, rather than waiting until something destroyed or collapsed to fix it.”