Part 79
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Kingston, Georgetown about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Delroy Adams
Delroy Adams, a 35-year-old self-employed man said: “I find that the prices for food items are not stable. I try not to complain about the high prices but to cope with the cost of living instead. I know the cost of living is really tough on people… I’m self-employed. I fry chips and walk and sell them. Sometimes I do part-time work in the interior to make ends meet. Right now, I’m thinking to go in the interior to make some money because the prices for plantains and other items are very expensive in the markets. For example, a pound of plantains a couple months back cost $160; recently I saw the market selling a pound of plantain for $240, about couple days ago a pound cost $280. The cost for plantain is still expensive for people who is doing a small hustle like me. A pound of sweet potatoes a few days ago cost $140; now a pound of sweet potatoes cost $150. The government should implement a stable price for food items or place price control so people can know what they are dealing with. “
Denise Sampson
Denise Sampson, said: “The cost of living is not nice at all. It is affecting everyone because it is expensive to maintain my family then I have grandchildren going to school. I’m a family of six including my two grandchildren. All the adults work in the home, even me, to manage the household daily expenses. I also receive a grant from the government every month. Even rental places are expensive now. Well, you have to study your health, you can’t study the money. We just have to cope with the cost of living because every day, we have to drink and eat. I think if the government control the prices for food items, it will help with the high cost of living. Remember now, there is no control over food prices; everybody just doing what they have to do. For example, before the cost for tomatoes were cheaper, a couple months ago the cost for a pound of tomatoes cost $300 and something/ $400 and something; now a pound of tomatoes cost $900. Also, a pound of cabbage that cost $200 before; now cost $500. Sellers are saying because of the rain, the cost of tomatoes may increase higher in the market. Things is not easy now because years ago, you could have bought a lot of items for $5,000; now when you go to the market with $30,000/$40,000 you are not returning home with a large quantity of items. Everything raises, everything raises… The prices for onions, cucumber, chicken and other food items have gone up in the market.”
Aubrey Denny
Aubrey Denny, a 66-year-old electrician said: “Well, we have to try to cope with the cost of living… You can’t keep the money, you have to buy food items you need for the home. The cost for all meat gone up in the market, for example, a couple months ago, a pound of chicken cost $480; now a pound of chicken cost $520. The cost for beef is expensive now. Before three cucumber cost $100; now one cucumber cost $100. The cost of living is affecting everyone because people’s salary is not increasing and the cost for things increasing. You have to buy half the food items you normally buy now. I’m a family of six and all the adults pool their resources to help with the expenses. Although the government is subsidizing certain things, I think the government should consider placing price control on food items because when I go to the markets, the vendors tell me, take it or leave it.”
Jermaine Forde
Jermaine Forde, a car wash attendant said: “The cost of living is affecting people, especially the middle-class people. Every single day the cost of living is high. If the cost of living continues to go up high, it will be unfair to everyone. I have a big problem with that because I am a family man supporting two children that are presently going to school. My sister, mom and I live together. I’m a car wash attendant, my mother receives her monthly pension and my sister work part-time to provide for the home. My two daughters live with their mother. The prices for all items have gone up in the market, even the prices for my children’s school items have gone up. When I go to the shop, I have to pay the high prices for the items. For example, a pound of garlic a couple months back cost $180; now a pound of garlic cost $500 and something, and this country producing oil. Over a year back, a pound of potatoes cost $100; now a pound of potatoes cost $280. The government should work on reducing the high cost of living.”
Steve Larose
Steve Larose, a 41-year-old said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because everything gone up in the markets/shops/supermarkets. The cleaners getting more money than the teachers. I’m selling snacks from my home and the school is not in session right now, so I’m doing construction work. I’m a family of four. My wife work to help support the home and our three children that are going to school. We have to cope with the cost of living, there is nothing else we can do. For example, a pound of cabbage a couple months back cost $200; now a pound of cabbage cost $500. Before a small bundle of bora cost $200; now that same bundle cost $500. The cost for boulanger gone up also. The government can consider helping the people by providing some financial help to every household.”
Ryan Giddings
Ryan Giddings, a 34-year-old single parent said: “The cost of living is hard for me because I’m a single father of two children and by the time I receive my salary, the other week it finishes. All the expenses I have to cover including, supporting my children financially. When I go in the supermarket one day, the price per items I can live with but when I returned to the supermarket the next day, the price increases. I usually put away my children’s money that cover their daily expenses when going to school every day. For example, before a pencil cost $20; now a pencil cost $40 at the shop. A small box juice for the children before cost $80; now the juice cost $100. Even the prices for cabbage, carrots, squash and bora have gone up in the markets. People’s salary needs to increase, and the government should consider this as well as reducing the cost for basic food items.”
Wanita Batson
Wanita Batson, a 37-year -old meter reader said: “The cost of living is affecting my family and I a great lot in every way. The cost for everything has gone up in the supermarket/markets/shops. I’m a family of seven, including my four children, nephew and partner. My partner and I work to provide for the kids. We struggle to make ends meet although we try to budget to pay the bills, rent and buy groceries. To add to that, every morning I have to find things to pack the children lunch kits to send them to school. For example, a couple month back, a 10kg Karibee rice cost $1,900; now the rice cost $1,900. The cost for a 10lbs cylinder cooking gas before cost $3,800; now the gas cost $4,800. The government should continue working towards reducing the cost of living because it is everywhere the prices for groceries going up in the market.”
Omarion Esbrand
Omarion Esbrand said: “The cost of living is high because I overheard my grandmother and friends talking how the prices for greens have sky-rocketed in the market. My grandmother and I try to cope with the rising cost of living by budgeting, buying whatever we have to buy, reduce the amount we usually buy or substitute what you need for something else. My father supports us as well but he resides overseas. My grandmother receives an income from her stand that she rents and I work. With the pooled resources, we make it work so at the end of the month, we do not have to worry about the expenses. The cost of living is affecting everyone drastically. It’s like you don’t know exactly how to cope with it at this point but then there is not anything you can do about it at this time. I usually will hear my friends saying, how a pound of eschalot before cost $500; now a big bundle of eschalot cost $4,000. A couple months back, I purchased a 10 lb cylinder cooking gas for about $5,400; now the gas cost $5,700. The government should reduce the cost of living to a considerate amount because as much as the government have risen the threshold for the minimum wage, and they are not taxing it; it doesn’t make sense the people raising the prices for groceries, and most of the money going toward groceries and the disposal income is already limited. So, the government could probably try reducing the amount we usually pay for items or provide more places for vendors to sell their items because that is how vendors make their income.”
Terrence Peters
Terrence Peters, a 32-year-old construction worker said: “The cost of living is not really affecting me much because my family of six try to cope with it. All adults work in the home while the four children go to school. The cost of living is high a little, yes, because the more the salary increases, the more wholesalers/ retailers increase the prices for their items. When salary raise, you will expect the prices for items to raise as well. You just have to budget and cope with it. For example, a 10 kg Karibee rice a few months back cost $1,500; now the rice cost $2,300 for the same bag. A 1 litre Coke right in the area cost $500. When you buy it from Banks, I will get it for about $200. If I go to the Chinese to buy the Coke, the same 1 litre coke will be for $260. I think it’s the same people(wholesalers/retailer) increasing the prices, the government is not to blame for the high cost. Instead, there should be some price control to control the prices these people selling their items for. If you go Parika, you will get a whole pumpkin for $660; in other areas you will get a cut of pumpkin for $600”
Junior Emanuel
Junior Emanuel, a 27-year-old construction worker said: “The cost for everything gone up in the markets. We just have to cope with the high cost of living because there is not much we can do but budget. My uncle and I work while my father is a pensioner. We all contribute toward paying the utility bills and buying food items. Things are high, yes. For example, before a 1 litre bottle oil cost $300; now the oil cost $500 and something/$640. The government should put measures in place to reduce the cost of living which I think will not help because the retailers/wholesalers will find another way to raise the prices for items. “
