Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Rasville and Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Loren Bowen, a 40-year-old construction worker said: “I can’t say the cost of living is high and I can’t say it is low because I don’t know what the farmers are going through. I tried everything in this life; every fine, fine work in this life I tried and nothing is not easy. If a man called a price for his item, I think he deserve that price; unless you see him cheating you. So, for me I try to cope with the rising cost of living by just ignoring the prices and do what I have to do to provide for my family. I’m a family of three, both my wife and I work while her son goes to school. In life you have to be contented, you can’t be working for a certain amount of money then want to party and know cost of living is high while you still expect to save money. You have to do things the right way by assessing what your needs are from what your wants are. In that way, life will be good for everyone; life is what you make it. Life is rough on some days; I know it’s a reason why I didn’t get money on some day. Probably I could have thought a little smarter and I could have saved and I could have gotten money the day when I needed it the most. Things are high, yes but we just have to cope with it because we don’t know what the sellers are going through to sell the items. For example, a sack of cement before cost $1,300; now a sack of cement cost $1,600/$2,000. The prices for some items are sold cheaper in certain areas while in some areas, the prices for items are expensive. A load of sand a few years back cost $15,000/$14000; now I’m receiving a little more when buying a load of sand, the sand cost $35,000/$43,000 now. We just have to budget to cater for our needs more than our wants in order to cope with the cost of living.”
Kevin Smith, a 29-year-old construction worker said; “Well everybody knows that recently the cost of living changed; it got higher now compare to couple years ago. The cost for things raise like cooking gas, cooking oil, greens; and you are not seeing any heavy salary increases to match the high cost. Even, the cost for fuel to use in your vehicle raised. I’m a family of four which includes, my common-law wife, my father and my daughter. Three of us are working to provide for the home. When I’m finished paying utility bills, school fees and buy groceries, I’m left hand to mouth. I’m a construction worker while my father works in maintenance. For example, before a 10kg bag Karibee rice cost $1,400/$1,300; now the rice cost $2,100. A 10 lb cylinder cooking gas before cost $3,000/$3,500; now the cooking gas cost $4,600/$4,700. I don’t know what the government can do to bring down the cost of living but whatever they can do to bring down the cost of living, the government should work on it to bring it down.”
Christopher George, a 64-year-old farmer said: “I don’t really study the cost of living because I do integrated agriculture. I like planting anything. I’m living in Rasville for over 40 years and throughout my life, I’m planting and it has been passed on to my children. Nine persons live with me which includes five of my children, two grandchildren and wife. My wife runs her own grocery shop while I make fruit juices and my children sell it at the road head. I have passion fruit on the tree and other fruit trees. If you go to buy that in the market now, the cost for it is very expensive. Vendors used to sell five passion fruits for $100; now the vendors in the market are selling that same five passion fruit for $1,000. Could you imagine the cost things gone up by? I have coconut trees all around my yard and farm along with more fruit trees and a lot of vegetables. I always have dry coconut, fruits and vegetables to sell to the community to who can afford it or I would share it to the needy. Before, a bowl of cherries cost $100; right now, a bowl of cherries cost $300. Recently, I reaped about 40 bowls of cherries from my tree. I know before three dry coconuts cost $100; now one dry coconut cost $100 and something. The government should encourage people to do more planting in their spare time and their space in their yard. It could assist people on some days to offset their expenses in the home.”
Shalom Poulis said, “The cost of living is affecting me tremendously because certain things at the market is terrible. The prices are high and then your salary is not enough to match the prices. Well, I usually live alone but presently my wife and kids are on holiday with me. Sometimes when you finished paying off your expenses and go to the market to purchase monthly groceries, somedays I won’t get bus fare to come to work because the prices for items in the market are high. I try to manage the expenses by myself. The greens that people don’t like, the prices are down while the greens that people often eat, the prices are up. For example, before a good parcel of bora cost $200/$300; now a parcel of bora cost $800/$600. Now, the bora that we buy could hardly do for our family. Now, the prices for grocery items in the supermarket are higher than the prices for grocery in the market. I don’t go in the supermarket. Right now, you have to go to the market with about $200,000/$300,000 to buy monthly groceries for the home. My spouse and kid are not with me regularly, so it doesn’t make sense to buy the monthly grocery sometimes. A tin of peas before cost $200/$260; now the peas cost $480/$450 in the supermarket. Before, I could have bought four or five tins of peas and put them away, now I can’t do that. The government should visit every household and make sure that people are benefiting from the revenues that are coming from the production of oil.”
Lateena George said: “Although prices for items are increasing in the market, the high prices does not affect me so much because my family and I have a business. When the prices for items increase, we will increase our prices as well. I think for the working class when prices raise, the people’s salary do not increase. It would be hard on them but not me. I’m a family of three, including my mother and father. Most of these high prices went up during COVID 19 and they still high. For instance, before a pack of straw cost $300; during the pandemic time it increased to $500 and it is still the same price. This year and mid of last year Beharry increase their prices for their items, so the cost for a pack of chow-mein now has increased. Before we used to sell a pack of chowmein for $260; now we selling a pack of chow-mein for $380. Before the items, mostly case items on our list cost $200,000, we used to get a lot of items for that money; now we receive less for our money. Most prices for groceries are not control on the local market but the world market. At whatever prices people import the items for, they sell it back in the local market. So, I don’t think anything can be done about this but to raise people’s salary.”
Kischanna Lawrence said: “The prices for everything in the market have risen. The high prices do not really affect me because my family helps me financially most of the time. I sell snacks and beverages. When I’m not doing well in business, my family helps me out. Some days I barely make $10 or $20 profit. I’m a family of four. My husband and daughter work while my son goes to school. We combined our income and pay the utility bills and then buy grocery. We don’t see it hard because it’s three of us working. The cost for items is high yes, especially the prices for snack and drinks. For example, a sack of Tortilla chips cost $800; now the sack cost $1,240/$1,220. The greens prices fluctuate. I would go to the market to look for the cheapest price for the items but the cost for grocery items such as oil gone up. A three-litre cooking oil before cost $1,700/$1,900; now the cooking oil cost $2,500.The government should consider reducing the cost for food items.”
Laitcia Williams said: “The cost of living is not only affecting my family but the community because the prices of items are double the prices in the markets. The money is not flowing the way it should. As such, a lot of people would be hungry. So, the cost of living is really affecting us because everyday something raising in the market. The money that you have can’t even do to purchase three things from the market. The government need to increase people’s salary compared to how people’s salary are in America. The wages are high there. I’m a family of eight person, including my husband and children. My husband, three children and I are working to cope with the cost of living. That’s how we can get to eat two square meals. The prices for rice, oil and sugar gone up sky high. The cost for a small bottle of oil before cost $260; now the oil cost $460. I usually buy the big bottle oil to cover for the week. A 10 kg Karibee rice before cost $1,300; now the rice cost $2,100/$2,000/$2,200. The government should increase people’s salary and try to build proper roads, and street lights for the community.”
Darnel Hicks, a 45-year-old cook said: “The cost of living is very high to be honest with you. I usually cook food and sell food to people. When I buy items from the market, the prices for the items are high. Things are really expensive right now. The prices for greens expensive; everything gone up in the market. No money is not increasing, just the prices for stocks increasing. And, when I try to raise the prices for my food, people crying out because they don’t have enough money to buy the food. I had to raise the cost for food, sometimes I see with people who can’t afford it. Before the cost for a half box food was $600; now the same box of food cost $800. Before a bundle of bora cost 400/500; now a bundle of bora cost $1,000. Even the cost for a pound of cabbage gone up. I’m a family of four. My brother works and help me provide for the home. My mother receives her monthly pension. After we finished paying the utility bills and internet bill then buy grocery, we still have to help our mother out financially because she is mentally challenged, and her money can’t do much to help her. The government should place price control on food items and help persons who are in need of financial help.”
June Cox, 45-year-old self-employ-ed said: “The cost of living is affecting everyone because every day when you go to the market the prices for items going up. The cost for everything going up when you have to purchase things to send your children to school. You can’t take $1,000 and go to the market, at least $2,500 will get you a little comfortable meal. I’m a family of seven persons including my partner and five children. Four people working in the home. We combined our salaries in order to cope with the cost of living. Still, when we finished paying the utility bills and other expenses in the home, we still find it difficult with the rising cost of living. For example, a few months ago a half bag sugar cost $1,300; now a half bag sugar cost $1,600. Before a pint of chana cost about $180/$260; now a pint of chana cost $340. The government should consider giving the children something every month or single parent something. It would really help us parents a lot with the rising cost of living.”
Candace Williams, a 48-year-old housewife said: “The cost of living is very high because when you get money by the time you break the money, it finished. My children working and still the money is not reaching to buy things like food stuff. Then you have to pay electricity bill and other expenses. All like me I’m not working, I’m a housewife. My three children living with me. My daughter going to school and my two sons working to provide for the home. I’m receiving public assistance. Everything gone up in the market. For example, before a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $2,000; now the rice cost $2,300. Before a pound of sugar cost $100 and something; now a pound of sugar cost $230. I would really like if I could get some financial assistance from the government to open my shop.”
