Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Bagotstown, and close to the Demerara Harbour Bridge junction on the East Bank Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Ryan Charran, a 34-year-old Grove taxi driver said: “All items have risen in the market and people’s salary had not increase. All I have to do is try to cope with the cost of living. I can’t tell nobody my problems. I’m a single parent to my daughter who goes to secondary school and usually, I have to find $20,000 a week for her expenses. Her grandmother helps her out too. I don’t get to save anything because everything in the market is expensive now. The cost for all food items gone up in the market. For example, a small piece of pumpkin that cost $300/500 a few months ago; now cost $1,000 for the same piece of pumpkin. A pound of celery, a few months ago cost $1,000/$1,500; now a pound of celery cost $4,000. I started a business as a welder first but people couldn’t afford to pay my price I was offering them since I had to raise my cost because the cost of material to do the job was costly. I had to quit the welding work eventually and find another job to support my family. I’m a taxi driver now. Also, look at the road conditions in Grove on the East Bank Demerara. The government doing roads in Guyana… they should stop doing that and focus more on the rising cost of living. We can’t eat roads. I think the government should work towards reducing the cost of living in Guyana.”