Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Mahdia, Region Eight and at Atlantic Ville, 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
Qulicia Fredericks, a 24-year-old teacher of Mahdia said: “As for me the cost of living is hard because certain things, you don’t get to buy cheap in the market here. Mahdia has jobs, yes but not a lot of unskilled work, so we would have to search for a little work somewhere or try to sell something because there are a lot of us that does not have a work. My husband usually have to find work somewhere to provide for the home and family. I’m a family of five, including my husband and three children. Right now, my husband is not working. I usually come together with my neighbour and make cassava bread and sell as a side hustle. The only income coming in the home now is from the cassava hustle I do with my neighbour. When there is school, I work as a teacher but since school close, I’m left with the side hustle to take care of my family. The cost of living is hard. For example, before a pound of chicken cost $500 everywhere; now a pound of chicken cost $660. I only buy my chicken one place because of the high price. Before, a 1 litre oil cost $600; now the oil cost $780. I think the government should provide more job opportunity for labourers or people who doesn’t have a job in the area, in order for us to better provide for our family.”
Mignon Wong, a 51-year-old part-time Mahdia vendor said: “Well, the cost of living is very high because when you go to the market, you can’t buy greens like how you use to before. When I pick up a small parcel, it can’t do for my family. When I buy thick leaf, I’m getting a small parcel for $200. The cost of living is high. A small bundle bora that I buy now for $500, can’t do for my family of four, including my two children. Before I could have buy mix seasoning inclusive of celery and eschalot for $300; now the vendors telling me I can’t get that, I have to get $500 to buy the mix seasoning. A small Thunderbolt flour a couple months back cost $300 and something; now the flour cost $460. My family and I are trying with the cost of living. We are not getting work right now because the workshop we had before wasn’t profitable, so now we have to go out of the home and work. My husband does taxi work sometimes and provide delivery services to residents for a living now. Whenever there is school, I would help sell items but right now, there isn’t any school so I don’t have a job. My husband’s mother would usually send money for us to pay our internet and water bill. The government should provide more work for people who are uneducated or do more things for the people here to help us with the rising cost of living.”
Martine Benjamin, a 39-year-old single mother of Mahdia said: “The cost of living is really high, especially when it comes to electricity. In Mahdia my electricity bill comes high every month. The cost for food items is double the price compared to the prices for them in Georgetown. The cost of living does not really affect me much because I’m working. I’m a family of three, including my daughter and sister. My sister works and help me provide for the home. We do budgeting and try to adapt to the high cost of living. For example, before a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $1,800; now the rice cost $2,900. A 1 litre bottle oil before cost $400; now the oil cost $800/$900. Even the cost for butter gone up in the market. I don’t know what is causing items to rise. I think we just have to cope with the rising cost of living.”
Bridget Cummings, a NIS pensioner of Atlantic Ville said: “The cost of living is really affecting me because the prices for food items have increased at the shops/markets. Today, if I go and buy something at the shop for $500, another day the item is at another price. I’m not blaming anyone, but I just want to know why the prices for food items are high. I’m a family of three including, my daughter and granddaughter. As a single parent receiving NIS pension, I try my best to pay the bills whilst buy food items. I sell ‘Cheese please’ on a small scale as a side hustle to help with my expenses because nobody isn’t working anywhere; it’s me alone providing for my family. The cost of living is rough on me. For example, a few months ago a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $1,800/$1900; now the rice cost $2,200. Also, a reasonable bundle of bora cost $700 before; now the bora cost $1,200. Even the sliced potatoes I buy in Georgetown and in the supermarkets up here is costly. I suggest we try to cope with the cost of living. I plant my seasoning in my kitchen garden and if I run out then I have to buy.”
Shondel Richmond, a 46-year-old housewife of Atlantic Ville said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because the prices for items are high. I’m a family of eight including my seven children and husband. My husband washes house for a living while one of my sons works to help provide for the phone. We try to budget and pool our money together to cope with the cost of living. For example, a couple months back a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $1,800; now the rice cost $2,500. Also, before five pounds of sugar cost $800/$900; now the same sugar cost $1,000. I think the vendors need to reduce the prices for food items.”
Janice Clarke, a pensioner of Atlantic Ville said: “The cost of living is terrible because every time you go to shop in the supermarket the prices go up. The same thing with the markets. My family of three try to cope with the cost of living in whatever way we can. I try with my kitchen garden to plant whatever I can. Sometimes the rainy season is challenging for me but I still try with my garden. Both my husband and I are pensioners while my son works. I take care of the food items while my husband and son pay the utility bills. The prices for vegetables and fruits fluctuates a lot in the markets. Avocadoes that are grown right here in Guyana are costly. One avocado cost about $1,000 now; before the cost was cheaper. A pound of tomatoes before cost $600/$800; now the tomatoes cost $1,000. The prices for celery, eschalot, bora and other food items have gone up in the markets. The prices are not stable. The government need to intervene and help people with the cost of living to an extent. All the government doing is talking and talking.”
Rudolph Taylor, a 46-year-old mechanic of Atlantic Ville said: “The cost of living is high. We just have to work harder. The prices for items sometime go down while sometime the prices go up. Now the cost for bora has gone up in the markets. Before, a good bundle bora for my family cost $400; now if I want to buy bora, I have to pay $1,000. My grandfather and I live together. He’s a pensioner and I work. His pension is not enough to maintain the home, pay bills and buy food items. I usually help him out with his expenses. Even the cost for cabbage gone up. Before a pound of cabbage cost $300/$200; now the cabbage cost $540. When the prices for grocery items go up; it stays up. Well, the greens prices fluctuate. Even a small pine that cost $700 before; now cost $800. We just have to cope with the cost of living.”
Yolan Thomas, a resident of Atlantic Ville said: “The cost of living is high and when things raise you have to find extra money to pay for them. I’m a family of five. My father working at the moment. My family try to budget in order to cope with the cost of living. For example, a 10 lb cylinder cooking gas before cost $4,000; now the gas cost $6,000. Before a small Thunderbolt flour cost $300 and something; now the flour cost $700. The government should try reducing the prices for food items because not everyone can afford to buy items while some people are just looking to make money.”
Terrence Bosdeo, a 48-year-old painter said: “Every week my wife and I go grocery shopping at the Plaisance market with $60,000 and that finish fast. The cost for everything has gone up in the market. We can’t eat the money; if we need something we just have to buy it. Last month a pound of garlic cost $300; now a pound of garlic cost $600. A 10 kg Karibee rice before cost $1,900; now the rice cost about $3,000. We just have to cope with the cost of living.”
Lakeranie Jhangai, a 43-year-old painter said: “The cost for food items have gone up in the market. The prices for vegetables, meat and other grocery items have gone up in the market. For example, a pound of beef/pork before cost $500/600; now the meat cost $800. Before a whole chicken cost less than $2,000; now the same whole chicken cost about $4,000. Both my husband and I work to provide for the home. We try to budget to cope with the cost of living. I think the vendors should work out something to reduce the cost for food items.”
