Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Guyhoc, Georgetown about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Christopher Walter
Christopher Walter said: “The prices for items going up when you go to buy. The prices for rice and eggs are expensive now. When I go to the market, certain greens that were sold cheaper before, is now expensive. Even the cost for beef gone up. My family of three usually pool our resources together to pay the utility bills and buy food items. My father, his cousin and I live together. Two of us working while the other is a pensioner. We try to cope with the cost of living by budgeting. For example, a tray of eggs before cost $1,300/$1,200; now the tray of eggs cost $1,700/$1,800. The cost for a pound of chicken a couple months ago cost $460; now a pound of chicken cost $500 and something. I can’t really say what could be done about the high cost of living but try to cope with it.”
Kwame Bright
Kwame Bright, a 60-year-old farmer said: “The cost of living is not affecting me because I live on a farm. I plant fruits and vegetables and sell them for a living. But it is surprising how the prices for food items change so suddenly and rapidly at places. Every family, regardless of your circumstances, sometimes when you go and purchase something, you would not believe that the prices for things went up so much. It’s not the matter that the prices for items are increasing but I can’t seem to understand why. It seems like the people at the top that have the money in abundance – that is the money that is flowing in Guyana, they do not have consideration to think about somebody else but themselves. That’s what I observed going on and everyone is affected by this in some way. It’s not our own Guyanese raising the prices for items but, the Chinese are doing the same in Guyana; everybody raising prices for items. Sometimes, when you go to the Chinese Supermarket and thinking you get the items at a cheaper cost, you are left surprise because they also increase the prices for their items. I don’t know if the high prices are coming from the government or the taxes on imported items. I don’t know why these items increasing so much. I’m living alone and try to cope with the cost of living. I sell a lot of things from my garden including pepper sauce I make. Even the cost for household materials gone up. I’m not saying that the government should share out certain amount to every household because then people won’t want to work as they will depend on the stipend the government gave them. What the government can do instead, is to ensure that the working class of people get a good wage so that it could sustain them. Also, the government should help the people more because the government can’t be having all these infrastructure building and people are suffering. The prices for items have gone up in the markets. For example, a 1 litre bottle Pepsi before cost $300 at the Chinese Supermarket; now the Pepsi cost $320 at the supermarket. Other places sell the Pepsi at different prices. A sack of cement a couple months back cost about $1,800; now the sack cost about $2,500.
Denese Braithwaite
Denese Braithwaite said: “The cost of living is very high because the cost for everything has gone up in the market. When you go to the market, sometimes one week, the cost for food items goes down and then the other week the cost for the things gone up. For example, a pound of plantains a couple weeks back cost $100; recently a pound of plantains cost $200. Before I used to buy 4 pounds of sugar for about $500 and something; now I’m paying about $800 and something for the same 4 lbs sugar. I’m a family of six, my husband and I are pensioners and we support our grandson only, while my daughter supports her son and partner. The government should try to reduce the cost of living.”
Compton Sealey
Compton Sealey, a 54-year-old single parent said: “The cost of living is affecting me terribly because as a single parent, I do pest control work and brush cutting to people’s yard for a living, right now the rain is falling so I’m out of a job. I would usually study how I’ll get food to feed my three kids that live with me. Then the prices for items are high in the market. So, it’s not easy. Who do we complain to? There is nobody to accuse. The police will lock you up with every turn you make. I have five children. Two are adults. Whenever my son can support me, he does. He’s living with his own family. Before, three boulanger cost $200/$300; Recently, I paid $500 for three boulanger. A couple months back one coconut cost $120/$140 or sometimes I get coconuts for free; now 1 coconut cost $200/$160. The cost for a baby milk now is $1,800. So, the cost of living is really high. The Natura milk that my children use now is expensive. The government should reduce the cost of living by putting system in place to help the poor/needy or the government will be creating thief men. I would not steal. I’m thankful that I have a daughter and a son that are educated.”
Sybil Alleyne
Sybil Alleyne said: “To be honest, the cost of living is not really affecting me because I do not have minors. It’s just me alone living. I travel in and out of town to do my hustle. I sell items to people and I have other source of income also. I have noticed though that the cost of living is high. The high prices are mostly high on food stuff. For example, a 1 litre bottle cooking oil a couple months ago cost about $400 and something; now the bottle of oil cost about $600 and something. A pound of butter before cost $300/360; now the same pound butter cost $480/$460. We just have to cope with the cost of living because no matter what you do things will be like that.”
Joyce Lyte
Joyce Lyte said: “My family and I cannot eat the way we should because the cost of living is high. I’m a family of six. My daughter-in-law is the only one working at the moment to provide for her three kids, her husband and me. I’m in the process of applying for my old age pension. For example a couple months ago a medium pack Natura milk cost about $500 and something; now the milk cost $700. The government should meet with the different heads of supermarkets and try to subsidize food items because the prices for things are expensive.”
Arlena Lyte
Arlena Lyte, 47-year-old single parent said: “The cost of living is terrible because you are not getting jobs, you know. We just have to do what we have to do in order to cope with the cost of living. I’m doing a small business where I make achar and pepper sauce and I sell it to people. I work to provide for my two kids and myself. For instance, before a pound of peppers cost $200/$250; now a pound of peppers cost $1,000. Before a pound of yam cost $200/$300; now a pound of yam cost $600. We receiving the revenues from the oil we produce; I think some of the revenues should go towards helping single mothers more, or other people who need help and to create more jobs for people.”
Kevaughn Abel
Kevaughn Abel, a 40-year-old security guard said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because I’m not working for a big salary and then the money has to spend in the market. People have children to support. My family and I pooled our resources together to pay our monthly expenses and buy food items. My grandfather receives his monthly pension, while my sister and I work. The prices for greens and other grocery items have gone up in the market. For example, before a pound of chicken cost about $400/$300 and something; now a pound of chicken cost about $600 and something. A 10 kg Karibee bag rice a couple months back cost about $1,500 and something; now the rice cost about $1,900 and something. The government should implement strategy to deal with the price inflation in the market because one time the cost for pumpkin went to $600 a piece, ochro went to $300 a pound and well, cabbage will be cabbage in the market.”
Rosamond Chichester
Rosamond Chichester said: “The cost of living is not affecting me. I don’t know about any other person. Along with my monthly pension, my two children work to provide for the home. We are budgeting in order to manage things. It is a known fact that the cost of living has gone up in the market. For example, a 10 kg Karibee bag rice before cost $2,000; now the rice cost $2,300. A 10 lbs cylinder bottle cooking gas before cost $4,300; now the gas cost $5,500. The government should raise pensioners and people’s salary to help with the cost of living.”
Sandra Imhotep
Sandra Imhotep said: “When you go to the market one time, the prices for things are sold reasonable but when you return to the market another time, the prices for things are high. When you ask the vendors how the prices are so high for things, they would say, how they buy things that’s how they are selling it back. It’s affecting my family and I a lot. My family and I work and would come together to buy food items. I have one child going to school. For example, before a big bundle of bora cost $200; now a small bundle of bora cost $500. Before a pound of cabbage cost about $260 a pound; now a pound of cabbage cost $500. I think the government should provide seeds for people to plant more.”
