Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Bareroot, East Coast Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Cordell James, a 47-year-old single parent said: “Foreigners [get paid] ten times more than what they paying Guyanese. I have witness this at ExxonMobil. Guyanese who are qualified are not being paid like how the foreigners are being paid…The cost of living is hard because the light bill alone does kill you. Water rate them ah beat you like a eel. What we gon do? Cost of living isn’t making no difference in this country, no matter how right you right. The cost of living is hard. It is hard to get a permanent job in this country. If you do get a job in this country, your salary might reach $80,000/$90,000. Most work I see available is arm guard and security work. As a certified electrician/refrigeration technician, you have to know people to get certain work; if you don’t know people, you can’t get the work.
Right now, I’m out of work but whatever little refrigeration work I get about the place, I take it. I’m a single father of five children now, and I stand the cost for most of my bill. Two of my children work and the others go to school but they have expense on their own to take care of. I don’t bother them for money, whatever they contribute to the home, I accept. I try to cope with the cost of living by stretching certain food items, for example the rice. I try to content with whatever I have; I taught my children that too. Whatever refrigeration work I get for the week, I try to make sure my bills are paid, I always have food in the home and my children are taken care of. Things are not easy; it is hard to know that we [the country] so wealthy and we living so poor. Actually, the cost for everything gone up now in this country. Just before the APNU came out of power, I used to buy a roll of mesh for $6,000; now a roll of mesh cost $16,000/$18,000. That’s to show how the prices have double or triple from then to now. When I used to buy six boulanger for $200; now I’m buying two boulanger for $200. Even the cost for sugar gone up. A pound of sugar a couple months back cost $60/$30; now a pound of sugar cost $200. The cost for chicken, among other things has gone up in the market. Clothes cheaper than food now. The Chinese’s selling clothes cheaper now. The government should consider one thing: if the minibus fare raises, gas price raise; everything gone up. I don’t know if the government is not doing their job but it doesn’t make sense in this country with the current high prices. For instance, when a 10% is given on salary, the cost for food prices, among other things, increase more in the markets because there is no price control. I think the government can increase people’s salary, give duty on one and two items but place a control price on items to help with the cost of living. Another thing is, people hardly getting water here because the water pressure is low most of the times, and the water stops coming sometimes. Then GWI cutting off the water when the bill is not paid. All these things the government should look into.”
Toya Thompson
Toya Thompson, a 34-year-old housewife said: “I’m trying to cope with the rising cost of living. I’m living with my spouse and three children. When my husband receives his salary every fortnight, I would go to the shop to purchase grocery items. Every time I go to the shop, the cost for items always increasing; the prices differ every time I go to the shop. For example, I used to buy salt fish before for $300/$600; now the salt fish cost $1,000. I used to buy a 3-litre bottle oil before for $1,200; now I’m buying the oil for $1,700. I think sugar is scarce now because the cost has increase at the shops. A pound of sugar before cost about $100; now a pound of sugar cost about $280/260 and some of the shops want $360 for a pound of sugar. Well, some of them shops do exploit you. There is too much taxes on food item. The government should reduce taxes on food items to help people with the rising cost of living.”
Devon Joseph
Devon Joseph, a 24-year-old construction worker said: “The cost of living is hard because it adds more pressure to my family but we try to cope with it. The cost of living right now is very high. I live with my brother and sister, and together we contribute toward the home with whatever income we have to pay our utility bills and then buy food items for the home. The prices for food items have increase in the markets/shops. For example, vegetables, whoever planting to sell back will have a different price for their vegetables compare to those people who’s buying to sell back. So, the prices vary. A couple months back, a pound of plantains cost about $100 and something; now a pound of plantains cost $260. Before a one litre bottle of oil cost $400; now the oil cost $600 at the shop. The cost for everything has increase. The government have to make a change; the government should change their system in the way things are manage in the country because things are not going nice for us right now. The government should consider reducing certain food items to help people with these high prices. Another thing the government taking too long to have the roads in here done and we, the residents of Bareroot are experiencing constant black outs.”
Alicia Williams
Alicia Williams said: “The prices for items increasing and people don’t have enough money to purchase these items because items are sold at a really high price at the shops. The prices for the items are expensive but people’s salary is not increasing. The price range in the shop is not easy. People when they are short on money to pay for the items, I can’t send them back; I see with them. We [the country] need to upgrade more in relation to money, so people can go to the shop and afford to buy groceries. Now, when you go to the shop with $5,000 and you going home with a black bag, you don’t realize what you have in the bag because the money finish. I can tell you because my husband and I run a shop. The government need to put system in place to help people because I’m hearing we [the country] are receiving oil money now. Guyana, I think has the most resources and still we living in a crisis. The government should reduce the prices for food items because the prices for clothes expensive, I have to pay the utility bills and the money we are working for cannot help us. Then people have to eat and pay mortgage. The cost of living is affecting everyone in this country. For example, a half bag sugar before cost about $5,000 and something; now the sugar cost $7,500. I try to make ends meet. Before a 10-kg Karibee rice cost about $1,600 and something; now the rice cost $2,100. I just have to cope with the profits I receive from the shop.”
Denise Bayley
Denise Bayley said: “I’m trying to cope with the cost of living. My partner and I live together. He’s the only one working in the home. The cost of living is really affecting us because every day when you go to the shop, the prices for items are sky high, even in the market. The prices for the items keep rising at the shops. The cost for boulanger has increase in the market. For example, a half pound butter a couple months back cost about $300 and something; now the butter cost about $400 and something. Even a pound of sugar is costly now. A pound of sugar cost about $100/$120 before; now a pound of sugar cost $160. Drinking water now cost $280 per bottle; before the cost was $240. The cost for drinks all gone up. The high prices really affecting me because when you say you going in the market to buy certain items, you end up buying less items. We just have to try with the high prices.”
Odessa Morgan
Odessa Morgan, a 41-year-old single mother said: “The cost of living is hard on me because every time I go to the shop to purchase items, something raising. Before when I use to pay $80 for a pound of sugar; I’m not paying $200/$260 a pound for sugar. The cost of living is very hard for a single mother taking care of three children right now. I’m working to provide for them. I don’t know what happen in this place right now because before when I go to the market with $5,000, I could come out of the market with at least two bags full with items; now that is not happening. Well, the prices for vegetables fluctuates in the market. The cost for a one litre bottle of oil before was $500 and something; now a bottle of oil cost about $700 and something. The cost for a small Thunderbolt flour gone up in the market. I realized that every time the government gave a little increase on people’s salary, the market prices increase more. By the time school voucher share for the children, the cost for school clothes increases as well. Why people doing this? No matter how the salary increases, the government should set a fix price for commodity and put a stop to what the sellers are doing in the markets.”
Prince David
Prince David, a 62-year-old contractor said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot when it comes to my finances. This is so because I’m self-employed and sometimes I get work and sometimes I don’t. I’m a contractor and I do other work on the side. My wife and I live alone. Whatever I earn, I try to provide for the home. I try to cope with the cost of living. Sometimes things get bad but because of the rain, I just have to put a smile on my face and work along with it, like if everything is ok. The cost for tools that I use in my line of work has increase as well. For example, before an electrical circular saw cost $12,000; now the saw cost $35,000. Also, the cost for the saw blade before cost $900; now the blade cost $2,500. The prices for nails, cement; everything gone up. For instance, I have tried a while to renovate my verandah but I can’t do it until now because as I get the money, I have to buy food items for daily consumption. The wife usually tells me how the prices for all groceries items have increase in the market. I would really like financial help from the government in my line of work. I think the government should place standard prices on all imported items that private business buys or people that are importing items in Guyana buy to resell.”
Marilyn Bacchus
Marilyn Bacchus said: “The cost of living is not affecting me much because I work but it affects other people. I’m trying to cope with the cost of living as I run the shop at my home while my husband and brother work. We all combine income to pay the utility bills and buy food items. I’m a family of seven. The prices for everything in the market have increase. For example, a pound of sugar before cost $160; now a pound of sugar cost $180. The prices for all drinks have increased in the market. A small coke before cost $100/$120; now the coke cost $240. The cost for a 10-kg Karibee rice gone up in the market. Before the rice cost $220/$240; now the rice cost $300/$340. The government should come around and check the prices these retailers and wholesalers have on food items. I can help myself but there are a lot of people out there who are affected by the high cost of living. “
Samantha Adams
Samantha Adams said: “I do the little farming and the things are not growing good because sometimes I do not have water in the trench to water the plants. Sometimes, I get water from the pipes while sometimes the water barely come from the pipes. The cost for items in the market has risen again. Well, greens prices fluctuate in the market. Sometimes I would punish to sell my greens, just to pay my water bill. Sometime I return home with my load because people are not buying the items. For example, a couple months back, a pound of celery cost $1,400/$1,200; now a pound of celery cost $2,000. A pound of onions before cost $120; now a pound of onions cost $240/$380. Even the prices for sugar, sweet soap and flour have increased in the market. I think the government should either reduce the prices for food items or increase people’s salary. “
Ulric Morris
Ulric Morris, a pensioner said: “The cost of living is affecting me terrible when paying my bills because the monthly pension I receive cannot do to pay my utility bills then buy grocery items. I do side work to help me with my finance for the month. Every day I go to the shop, the prices for food items increasing. Every day this happening. Why is this so? My pension can’t do to buy these things. I live alone. I also support my partner who lives up the road. So, the cost of living is hard on me. Everything gone up in the market. For example, a pound of plantains a couple months back cost $200 and something; now a pound of plantains cost $300. A wholewheat bread a couple months back cost $280; now the bread cost $360. The prices for rice, flour and among other items gone up in the market. The government is causing this. Now, we are people. The government said that the resources of the country, the people are the main resources. Why the government don’t give the people first a good living instead of taking the money and build this bridge here, and that bridge here. Why not make the people strong first then do your development piece, piece? Why they have the people suffering? People get greedier now because things raising in shops/markets. The money is not making it with the things that are raising and there is no love between the people. People holding in on their money because they don’t know if tomorrow, the prices for items will raise again.”
