Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the area of Melanie on the East Coast of Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Sharon Roberts: `The cost of living is affecting me in a negative way because I’m not a public servant, I worked with a private school and so I won’t get a retroactive increase every year. I’m a retiree but nevertheless I’m still working now just to help to pay the cost for utility bills, rent and other expenses like food items. Also, my husband who is also a retiree is trying his best to contribute in the home too. It’s a struggle for us and the cost of living is really hard on us especially as retirees. Basic items, such as the cost for fruits has increased. We need to be on a special diet which includes fruits but we can’t like we should since the cost for fruits has increased in the market. Even the cost for vegetables has increased in the market, for example, a slice of watermelon earlier in the year cost $200; now that same slice of watermelon cost $500. A couple months back, a small bundle of bora cost $200; now a bundle of bora cost $600. I think the government should place the NIS pension at age 55 … because the cost for all items has risen in the market.’
Ashante Price, a 20-year-old: `The cost for items in the market is high, money running out quickly. My family and I are not receiving enough food items for our money spent. I’m a family of seven and only four people work in the home, including me and still we are struggling when purchasing food items. Whatever money we pooled together, my family and I try to make it work. For example, a pound of chicken a couple months back cost $360; now a pound of chicken cost $560/$600. Also, a cut of pumpkin that cost $200/$300 a couple months back; now cost $900/ $1000. The government should do something more to help poor people with the rising cost of living since some families can’t afford to buy enough food items for the home.’
Ron Robinson: `The rising cost of living is hard right now in this country because people are not getting jobs. The money people are working for a month or day cannot do now to pay the utility bill, buy food items and pay rent. The cost alone for transportation to travel to work and back home is costly. I’m a family of five at the moment, and my mother and son are working plus I work as a vendor and a taxi driver just to provide for the home. Still, we are feeling the high cost when purchasing food items because people’s salary is not enough. Well, my kitchen garden helps me out with vegetables so I don’t have to buy a lot of vegetables since the cost for vegetables has increased now in the market but still, the cost of living affects me because I still have to buy food items. For example, three boulanger that cost $500 a couple months ago; now cost $1000 for the same three boulanger. A small bundle of bora a couple months ago cost $200; now the same bundle of bora cost $1000. The Government should raise people’s salary more because the money people working for at the moment is not enough to feed their family and on top of that they have to cater for their daily expenses. They have to eat. It is better if they stay home and open a business to provide for their family because some people have mortgage to pay.’
Jamall Wickham: `The cost for all vegetables has increased in the market. I have observed that the cost for all items has risen in the market and the cost for the items are not going down but the minimum wages remain the same. I work for $3000 a day and right now things are hard with me because I can’t afford to buy grocery items. I have some renovation to do on the home and I can’t do it because the cost for everything has increased. I can’t afford to do a second job, it’s too much for me. For example, 4 cucumber a couple months ago cost $400; now I’m getting three cucumbers for $400. Also, four limes a few months ago cost $100; now two limes cost $100 in the market. The cost for celery, bora, eggs and other food items has increased in the market. The government should raise people’s wages and try to invest more in the agricultural sector by leasing farming lands to farmers so they can plant more.’
Patricia Patterson, a pensioner: `If it wasn’t for my children and family financial support me, I don’t know how I would afford to purchase items since the cost for all food items have risen in the market. When I go to the supermarket and I see the price, I can’t afford it. I received my survival benefits and pension but still this can’t do because I have utility bills to pay and then food items to purchase. My daughter-in-law would split the cost of items with me when purchasing food items so we can cope with the high prices because we can’t afford to buy items individually. I might not get to purchase items I need the same time but when I can, I purchase. I just try to manage. For example, a big squash that cost $300 a couple months ago; now cost $800 for the same one. A pound of cabbage now cost $600; before the cost was cheaper. Even the cost for celery has increased. A pound of plantains that cost $100 a pound a couple months back; now cost $300 a pound. The government can’t control the prices of farmers vegetables but what the government can do, is to give us financial help.’
Jackqulyn Wayne, a 49-year-old food vendor said: `The cost for food items has increased in the market. Now I can’t purchase certain food items. The cost for the ingredients that I purchase to make my food to sell has increased in the market, but nevertheless I still have to continue making food. What I do instead is to tailor the price to suit the customers despite the high prices. I’m a family of seven persons. Three persons working out of the home and I’m trying to support the home by selling food. The cost for all food items has increased in the market. For example, a pound of beef that cost $700 a few months ago; now cost $800 a pound. A pound of tripe that cost $400 a few months ago; now cost $800 a pound. A cut of pumpkin that cost $500/$300 earlier in the year now cost $700/$1,100 for the same cut of pumpkin. The government should help poor people more because not everyone can afford to buy food items.’
Roxanne Yearwood, a 62-year-old single parent: “The cost for all food items has increased in the market, beef, pork, chicken, vegetables; everything has gone up in the market. For example, a pound of pork a few months ago cost $600; now a pound of pork cost $800/$900 and $1,200 in Georgetown. The cost for these items has increased because the cost for the feed has increased. For example, last year the cost for a bag of chicken feed cost $6000 and change; now the same feed price cost $7000. Even the cost for bora, a cut of pumpkin has increased in the market. The government paying the contractor to build the roads in the area but the road is not of quality, the roads are cracking up. The government should share the oil money so people can afford to buy food items.’
Paulette Alleyne: `The cost for all food items has increased in the market and nobody isn’t working in the home right now since my husband fell down and break his foot, my son met with an accident recently and can’t work at the moment, and I’m not working at the moment since the elderly man I used to care for, passed away this month. I’m trying to raise some money to reopen my shop to take care of my family. Right now, things are really hard for my family because nobody is working at the moment, we are trying to cope with the high cost of living. For example, a pound of chicken that cost $400 a couple months back; now cost $560. A small bag Karibee rice that cost $1,800; now cost $2,000. Even the cost for cooking gas and a pound of sugar has increased. The government should drop the cost on certain food items.’
Jaunia Marshall, a part-time domestic worker said: `The public assistance my brother received for his autism is not enough to take care of him since the cost for clothing, food items, shoes and transportation cost has all increased. I’m sickly too but I’m still working part-time to help out my single mother. I have three siblings. For example, a big pack of Natura milk that cost $900 a few months ago; now cost $1,400. I think the government should help out single mothers with food items.’
Indrid Layne, a pensioner said: `The cost of living is affecting me a lot because when I could have purchased a pint of rice, I can’t do that now. I have a shop in front of my yard and would have to put on $20 on all items to make a profit just to survive. Now by the time I buy vegetables and pay bills, the money finished since the cost for all items has increased in the market. For example, a pound of cabbage cost $260 a couple months back; now a pound of cabbage cost $600. A tin of beans that cost $340 a couple months back; now cost $440. Even the cost for sugar and an Enfamil milk has increased in the market. We, the people don’t want an increase in salary, we would like the government to supply every family like the first of every year with some kind of money to help with the rising cost of living, we don’t want a one-off something.’
Rosann Taylor said: `The cost of living is very terrible because the cost for all food items has increased in the market. The cost for meat in general has increased in the market. A pound of beef cost $400 a couple months back; now 2 pounds of beef cost $1,700. A loaf of bread that cost $200 a couple months back; now cost $360. Up to now I haven’t received my NIS pension because an investigation was launched by NIS to see why my employer hasn’t been paying up my money. So, I’m waiting to see what is going to happen. I think the government should enforce more rules on employer to get them to pay employee NIS and pension over to NIS. The one-off cash grant can’t help us with the cost of living, we the people need something more stable like money every month to help with the rising cost of living.’
