Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the area of Fyrish, Corentyne, Berbice about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Elisha Henry
Elisha Henry, a 34-year-old clothing vendor said: “The cost of living is affecting me really bad because as soon as I get the money, it done. The cost for everything raise; everything expensive in the market now. I don’t even get to save much when I’m finish buying food items. When I finished buying things to eat and paying the utility bills, I’m left with nothing. My husband, mother and I live together, and both my husband and I are working to support her and feed ourselves. We try to cope with the cost of living. I sent my two kids to live overseas due to the high cost of living and for them to have a better life. Everything gone up in the market. For example, a couple months ago 4 lbs of sugar cost $800 and something; now the same 4 lbs sugar cost $1,200 at the Chinese supermarket. Before, a normal size Natura milk cost about $500 and something; now the milk cost $700 and something. Even the prices for clothes have increased in the stores. The government should consider reducing the taxes on food items and also raise people’s salary. Or, if the government want to maintain tax on food items, they should consider raising people’s salary. If people’s salary does not increase, people can’t have no savings.”
Petal Manning
Petal Manning, a 40-year-old single parent said: “Most of the time when I go to the shop to purchase items for the home, the majority of things increases because this month I might spend like $30,000 and when I return to the shop, I might spend like $35,000, close to $40,000 for the same food items. I have to try with the cost of living because I’m a single mother with two daughters. I’m working presently while one of my daughters teaches but she’s awaiting her salary… The cost for some food items before were much cheaper than the cost for food items now. For example, a medium size bottle oil a couple months back cost $1,800; now the oil cost $2,700. A pack of carrots before cost about $200 and something; now the carrots cost $400 a pack. I think things will be better, if the government lower the taxes on food items. Another thing, I think the government should do something about the water bill because I could recall when the water meter wasn’t installed, I used to pay like $1,960 per month; now since the meter is installed, I’m paying more money per month and the water is not treated. “
Quame Oyes
Quame Oyes, a 62 part-time construction worker said: “The cost of living is high for me when paying the electricity and water bill. I don’t think we should be paying such an extreme cost on our utility bills. I live alone and I do odd jobs around the area sometimes to support myself. I know because of the extreme weather and so, the cost for sugar and rice goes up but when the prices for items goes up, it doesn’t come down. Before a big bag of Karibee rice cost about $3,000 something; now the same rice cost $8,700. The cost for chicken gone up. A pound of chicken before cost $230/$233; now a pound of chicken cost $400. Years back we, the people had a price control system. I think the government should place price control on food items because if we don’t have that the poor man will suffer. “
June Garnett
June Garnett, a 62-year-old single parent said: “The cost of living is hard because the prices for flour, sugar and so have gone up in the market. Look, for example, I went to the market with intentions of buying four bottles of glucose but I bought one bottle instead because the cost has increased. A big bottle of glucose a couple months back cost $300 and change; the same bottle of glucose cost $620 now. A big tin of Fernleaf milk a couple months back cost about $2,500 and change; now the milk cost $5,200. My five children who live with me work and support me. I’m not working anywhere; I just receive survival benefit for my deceased husband. My children cry out how the transportation cost has increase, and this is hard on them when travelling to and from work every day. Every morning and afternoon they have to pay $300 to travel. The prices for cassava, plantains, eddoes and so have gone up in the markets. Two lbs of plantains before cost $300; now two lbs of plantains cost $500. When I receive my survival benefit, by the time I pick up a few vegetables in the market, I barely have passage to return home. Cost of living is too high. The government should consider reducing the cost for food items.”
Mark Sampson
Mark Sampson, a 48-year-old said: “The cost of living is terrible right now for my family and I when paying the bills, buying food items; it’s affecting us in everything. I run a laundromat and right now, business is tight. Right now, how times going, you can’t do budgeting. Truly speaking, I can’t do budgeting because this month when I went to the shop with some money, the cost for items have increased more. The government distributing one, one stocks to people is not working out. Instead of that, the government should set up a place where people can go and collect grocery items they need or give us money to help toward the cost of living because things are hard now. For example, the items we are producing right here, the prices have increased. Before, a 10 kg bag of Karibee rice cost $1,500/$1,800 some place; now the rice cost $2,000 and something. My six children and wife live with me. Right now, I’m visually impaired and I rear pigs, yard fowl and plant vegetables and so here and there, while my wife would normally do contract work to help… Unfortunately, she is not working for about 6-7 months but we are still trying to cope… One of my children goes to school and the rest are working to help pay the bills.”
Leaton Johnson
Leaton Johnson, a 46-year-old construction worker said: “The cost of living is normal, everybody trying to cope with it as the days go by. I live with my mother, sister and two nieces. My mother is a pensioner and my sister and I work. We are going with the flow; we can’t spend above our limits. The prices for some food items have indeed increased in the market while some of the prices have reduced…but what you gon do? You gotta purchase the items still. For example, a pound of sugar cost $120 before; now a pound of sugar cost $160 some places. Also, before I used to buy a half bag rice for $2,700/$2,800; now the rice cost $3,200. Even the prices for bora and cabbage have increased. A bundle of bora cost about $300 before; now the bora cost $500/$600. I can’t really say what could be done about the rising cost of living, we just have to cope with it. “
Joseph Cort
Joseph Cort, a 57-year-old estate worker said: “Well, you have to cope with the prices, you can’t run away from that. Things are a little expensive because when you go to shop, you see $20 and $40 more increasing on items but still, you can’t give up. You have to try to make ends meet. You can’t eat big today and tomorrow you will be hungry. Prices are increasing throughout the world… things going up every day; tomorrow is a different price. Once you travel, you will get the experience of the high prices and you will get knowledge about certain things, if you don’t, you will be one way. I’m working at the Albion Estate. You still have to work, if you don’t work, you can’t get money. Every month I have to pay $3,000 to $4,000 for water. Just like the light, the more you burn it, the more you have to pay. I’m a family of eight persons. Along with me, three others are working from my family to cope with the cost of living. The cost for sugar has increased in the market. I rear pigs and the feed for the pigs are expensive now too. A bag of Knox feed for my pigs a couple months back cost $1,200; now the feed cost $2,200. The fine rice I feed them cost $4,500 before; now the rice cost $5,000. Even the cost for a bottle of drinking water has increased. Before the bottle drinking water cost $240; now the water cost $260. The big heads have to do something about the cost of living.”
Sunita Mohamed
Sunita Mohamed said: “My husband and I live alone. He’s working at the Albion Estate. I have noticed that yes, the cost for things have increased in the market. The prices for rice, sugar, oil, flour; the cost for everything has gone up in the market. Every week when you go to the shop with a certain amount of money to buy food items, you tell yourself it’s going to do, but you end up spending more for the items; more money, more money. My husband is not working for a lot of money but we are trying to make it work. Then, we have to pay the utility bills. Up to yesterday, the water meter was installed in my yard. Now the bill will be more. I said that alright things raise, so government should increase people’s salary more so workers can receive sufficient money to buy things what they want because right now, we are trying to content with whatever money we have.”
Sudhree Evans
Sudhree Evans, a pensioner said: “The cost of living is hard for everyone; $5,000 now nah full a small plastic bag. My husband is sickly. Both my husband and I are pensioners. We have so much repairs to do to our home but we don’t have the money to do it. Sometimes, we find it hard to pay our utility bills, grocery bill and medical expenses. The eye drops my husband uses for his eyes is expensive now. Before the cost for the small bottle of eyedrops cost $2,000; now the eyedrops cost $2,500. My husband uses three bottles of eye drops a week for his eyes. Nobody is not helping us; we have to help ourselves to pay the medical expenses and so forth. Everything gone up in the market. For example, a pound of beef before cost $300; now a pound of beef cost $600/$700. Also, a pound of pork a couple months ago cost $400; now a pound of pork cost $700/$800. A bundle of bora gone up to $500 now; before the cost was cheaper. Well, the cost for pumpkin gone down. The prices for fish gone up in the market. You can’t be angry because of the fluctuation of the prices since these things depends on the weather and other factors which we can’t control. But, in relation to the cost for grocery items, the government do not have any control prices on these items. So, we just have to cope…poor people are punishing a lot. Old people use to say, when oil wasn’t here as yet, we weren’t suffering so much, but now oil is producing in Guyana, and we are suffering a lot. The government should consider placing control prices on food items. Another thing, we didn’t receive our flood relief money for 2021, we could not talk to the President because there was a big crowd at the time. Things damage for me and I didn’t receive any money for this. I would like to see the President for some sort of help…”
Kavita Harrilall
Kavita Harrilall, a 24-year-old housewife said: “To me the cost of living is really hard right now because the job that workers get cannot do to feed their family, for example, the cane cutters. When the workers work every week, they are not given extra pay. My husband and father were cane cutters. These workers are given $20,000 a week to cut all the canes and from that money the company tax it. The net of the money when taken home can’t buy anything much from the supermarket for the home because the prices for food items have increased in the markets. This is not only affecting my home but other cane cutters’ family because the workers’ payments are small compared to the high prices in the market; You can’t buy everything you want at the markets. The whole community who are family of cane cutters came out recently and talk about this issue, but still the company didn’t increase the wages. For example, a couple months ago, a 1 litre bottle oil cost $560; now the oil cost $740. Before 4 lbs flour cost $380; now the same flour cost $480. Everything gone up in the supermarkets. My mother, husband and I are living together. Because of the sugar cane issue, my husband quit his cane cutting work and is doing construction work now but things are still hard. And, only one time a week my husband comes home to his family. So, it’s really hard for him. My mother is doing the 10 days part-time government work to help support the home because I’m pregnant, I can’t work. We didn’t even get the $20,000 per household that the government shared out, although our names were written on the list. The government should really look into this. The cane cutters’ wages need to increase.”
