Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Navindra Mangro
Navindra Mangro, a 20-year-old machine operator said: “The cost of living is not affecting me much because my father and I are not home often, we work offshore. When we are home, we buy food items in and out. Right now, the cost for vegetables is expensive in the market. Even the cost for a water coconut is costly. For example, a water coconut some time last year cost $100; now the water coconut cost close to $300. Then there are plantains, a pound of plantains before cost about $100 and something; now a pound of plantains cost $300 and something. I’m a family of four, including my mother, father and brother and everyone works but even though everyone contributes toward the home, we sometimes find the cost-of-living hard when purchasing food items, but what you gon do about it? You can’t do anything. You just have to cope with the cost of living. The government should reach out more with the farmers and vendors to come up with solution to have the cost for food items reduce.”
Minnawattie
Minnawattie, a 43-year-old housewife said: “The cost of living is affecting my family a lot because sometimes the money that you work for is not enough and when you go to the shop to buy some items, your money finish. The cost for rice and so all has risen. When you think that a big bag Karibee rice is sold for $6,200 like it was a few months ago, it’s not; now the same bag of rice cost $7,800. Last month, I bought a 20-lbs cylinder cooking gas for $4,300; this month the same gas cost $4,600. Even the cost for a small Natura milk has increased. I’m a family of 11 person including my nine children and husband. My husband and three of my children are working, while three of them go to school and the rest are school dropouts who are currently home doing nothing. We don’t have our own home; we are renting but our money is not enough to build a home. I think the government should see with the poor people about the rising cost of living because it’s not the rich people suffering, it’s the poor people who don’t have a good income coming in; especially who has a lot of children living in renting place and don’t have their own house.”
Cheryl Fraser
Cheryl Fraser, a 62-year-old housewife said: “The cost of living is high because the prices for food items in the shop has increased. My husband is a pensioner and the money is not enough when buying food items. I’m a family of seven. My son and daughter along with her three children are living with us. My son is working part time and my daughter works full time. They all try their best to contribute toward the home which I’m grateful for, but still the cost of living is very high. It’s like you want to go to the shop but you are afraid to because if you go to the shop, instead of spending $10,000, you spend $30,000 or $40,000. Right now, the cost for chicken has increased at the shops. It’s not only Guyana feeling the rising cost of living because since Covid 19, the whole world is experiencing the high cost of living. We just have to cope with it by taking it one day at a time. The cost for vegetables fluctuates a lot in the market. Even the cost for other grocery items has increase in the market. For example, last year Christmas a 20-lbs cylinder cooking gas cost $4,500; now the same gas cost $4,700. Well, the cost for a small Natura milk has for a long time remain at $500. The cost for a bundle bora is high right now in the market. A bundle bora a a couple months back cost $500/600; now the same bundle of bora cost $2,000. The government need to do a little better, especially for the pensioners. The government need to raise their pension more because the pension is not enough to last for a month. In addition, I haven’t heard anything in the budget that talks about pushing back pensioners’ age that is required for old age pension from 65 years to 60 years. The government should consider this.”
Ramona Collins
Ramona Collins said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because sometimes when my son goes to the shop to buy food items, the items cost more. He has to spend more money for the items and this could be hard on my family, including my three grandchildren. I’m receiving a monthly pension fund and I’m disable, so my son is the only one working to provide for the home right now. We are trying to cope with the cost of living. The cost for food items has increased in the market, for example, 20-lbs cylinder cooking gas a couple months back cost about $4,000 and something; now the gas cost $4,700. Also, the cost for a big bag Karibee rice before was cheaper; now the rice cost $7,000 and something. The government should step in and do something to help the poor people with the rising cost of living.”
Pradeep Mohabir
Pradeep Mohabir, a pensioner said: “I don’t think we have a high cost of living because throughout the world, we know that the prices for items have gone up since Covid-19. Families used to pay $5,000 for a container; then you had to pay $20,000 for a container. That’s how the things go. I don’t think there is a high cost of living. I think the wages/salaries; what people work for, the government is helping to cushion the cost of living. I try to cope with the cost of living. Both my wife and I are pensioners and we live alone. Countries like the USA, the cost of living is worse than us. My children who live abroad would cry out how the prices are high compared to the prices for items in Guyana. Indeed, the cost of living did go up but that is something we don’t have control over it. We just have to cope with it. Even our Caribbean brothers and sisters are facing the same problems like us. The cost for a tank of gas in Barbados is high compared to the cost to full your tank in Guyana. Guyana is better off in prices compared to other countries. It’s just that when there is shortages, the price will go up. It is supply and demand. For example, a slice of pumpkin cost $200/300 now; Before the cost was about $600. Both partner have to work now, which is not a problem, both my wife and I worked really hard for years before we became pensioners. The young people now have to work more; the country have a lot of resources. For me I’m comfortable here in Guyana because I know the government’s salary will get better and in time to come our salary will match together with other countries. Remember Guyana is only about three years old in this oil industry. When the APNU government was in power a lot of things were not the way it was. Right now, this government is pushing the agriculture sector. So, I think we should cope with the cost of living.”
Marlyn Rupnarain
Marlyn Rupnarain, a 45-year-old shopkeeper said: “Six persons living in the home, including my husband and four boys. Two of my children are working and my husband and I run a shop. Even though my family have pooled incomes together, the cost of living still affects us, since the prices for most grocery items have increase in the market. We try to cope with the cost of living because we have the utility bills to pay. Lately, I have found that the prices for some vegetables have reduced in the market. That’s good because last month, the prices for vegetables were high. This month when I went to shop, I have noticed that some greens prices have reduced. For example, a medium size squash cost $500/$600 before; now the same squash cost $200/$300. Well, the cost for a bundle of bora still high. A couple month ago, a bundle of bora cost $500; now a few bora cost $400. I saw the cost for celery has reduce a little, the cost for tomatoes still high. The cost for a pound of peppers has reduce now. A pound of peppers cost $700/$800 a couple month ago; now a pound of peppers cost $600. The cost for rice has increased now. Even the prices for some fruits have increased. The government should consider reducing the cost for food items to help with the rising cost of living.”
Kenny Hirnam
Kenny Hirnam, a 65-year-old sluice worker said: “The cost of living is affecting me in a lot of ways because my salary I work for can barely do to pay my rent, cover the cost for the utility bills and buy food items. Then I have to pay transportation cost to travel to and from work daily and also to carry my son to school. I’m a family of three, including my wife. I’m the only one working in the home so sometimes I would do a side hustle to help with the rising cost of living. Everything gone up in the market, for example, a pound of chicken a few months ago cost $360/$320; now a pound of chicken cost $550. A gallon bottle of oil a couple months back cost $2,000; now the oil cost $2,500, different places, different prices. Even the cost for a bag of Bakewell bread has increased. The government should place control prices on food items to help with the rising cost of living.”
Sookram Haripersaud
Sookram Haripersaud, a 61-year-old NIS pensioner said: “My NIS pension I receive is not enough to support my family of three, including my mother and wife. The cost for food items has increased in the market. Well, my mother receives her monthly pension too and with the combined benefits that still cannot do because we have the medical bills to pay, then we have to pay the utility bill and then purchase grocery items. My son and daughter-in-law would help us when they can. Despite the high cost we gotta do what we gotta do to survive. Every day the cost for food items increasing in the market; everything gone up. For instance, a 20-lbs cylinder cooking gas cost $3,300 a couple months back; now the gas cost nearly $5,000. Also, before a 3 -litre bottle of oil cost $1,800; now the oil cost $2,500. The government should consider reducing the cost of living, you can cope with whatever you have but you can’t afford everything.”
Rookmanie Haripersaud
Rookmanie Haripersaud, a 57-year-old housewife said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot. I mean, if you want to shop for yourself, you have to cut down on the grocery items for the home because the prices for all items have gone up. Then you have to pay the water bill, light bill and grocery items. My family of three try to cope with the cost of living. Nobody works in the home; my husband and mother-in-law receive their monthly pension. For example, 20-lbs cylinder cooking gas a couple months back cost $3,300/3,400; now the gas cost nearly $5,000. A 10-kg bag of white rice a couple months back cost $1,100 and something; now the rice cost almost $2000. The government should try to reduce the cost for food items, mostly items that the children consume on a daily basis.”
Nizam Baksh
Nizam Baksh, a 68-year-old remigrant said: “When I came back to Guyana, yes, I noticed the increase in prices. The prices for items in Guyana are almost the prices for items in North America. The price for a tube of toothpaste is like the price you are buying it in New York. I’m working part-time over here and most Guyanese who travel for business here and live in North America, would complain how the prices in Guyana is the same as New York. Why? When you have to purchase any can stuff here, the prices are unbelievable. Since Covid-19, the prices for items have gone up and since then the prices haven’t come back down. The prices for all can items have gone up. In Toronto, Canada, you buy a can of beans for like Cdn$3. In Guyana, the cost is more. Even if can items comes from Brazil the cost is still expensive. Fruits, for example, like a month ago I purchase 15 mangoes for $500; now eight mangoes cost $1,000. Mangoes were in season; you can understand when it’s not. Even the cost for meat like beef and mutton gone up. Well, I think everything is seasonal, sometime items would go down while some time items would go up. What is unbelievable is the prices for all can items and bottle items; imported items. I think we should go local more in our vegetables, fruits, meat – it’s healthier and cheaper. Make them yourself and forget the imported items. This will help to bring down the cost of living. That’s the only solution I see that can help people to bring down prices.”
