Theresa Walker, a 57-year-old part-time cleaner said: “The cost of living is affecting me terrible because I’m living alone and I work only as a part-time cleaner. I mean, I have my own place but still, I have to pay the utility bills and buy food items. Food items now are costly because the cost for everything is going up every day. Well, I get a little financial support from my family in addition to the part-time work I do just to cope with the cost of living. If I had to pay a rent, the cost of living would have been worse for me. I am just trying to cope with the cost of living. For example, the cost for a pound of chicken a couple month ago was $300 and something; now the chicken cost $400/$500 a pound at some places. All like bread, the cost gone up. A few months ago, a Palms wholewheat bread cost $320; now the bread cost $380/$400. The next thing is the transportation cost over here is expensive. In the afternoon to travel back from Georgetown to Goed Fortuin I will pay $300; the normal cost is $200.Sometimes in the afternoon instead of me paying $100 from Vreed-en-Hoop to Goed Fortuin, I end up paying $200. I think the government should place price control on all items or help the poorer class of people that need help.”
Kamla Baldeo, a pensioner said: “I’m a pensioner and sometimes the money is not enough when I finish buying groceries and pay my bills; no extra money is left back. The cost of living is high. I normally make dhal puri and sell, as a side hustle, just to bring in some money in the home but right now I have the flu so I have not made any dhal puri. I’m a family of seven. Two of my grandchildren work to provide for the home. The cost for groceries has gone up at the shop/market. For example, a couple months ago a bundle eschalot cost $200/$500 in the market; now a bundle of eschalot cost $1,000. Also, a couple months back a pound of celery cost $1,500; now a pound of celery cost $3,000. The government should look into the poorer class of people and help them. “
Maharanie Persaud, a 62-year-old grocery vendor said: “I’m a widow and I receive survival benefit but the money cannot do to sustain me because I have bills to pay and the cost of living is high. Well, I do my little side hustle by selling groceries and my daughter who lives by me with her family, supports me when she can. But still, I find it really hard because everything gone up at the markets/ shops and not always I can afford to buy certain things. For example, a couple months back a pound of garlic cost $260/$300 some places; now the garlic cost $400. Also, a couple months back a pint of split peas cost $100/$120; now the peas cost $180. A pint of Channa before cost $200; now the channa cost $340/$360 at some places. Even the prices for onions and plantains gone up in the markets. I think the government could consider giving cash grant to each household to help with the rising cost of living because the government cannot do anything when it comes to price control because the cost of living is a worldwide something.”
Chandra Armin, a 56-year-old housewife said: “The cost for everything has gone up in the markets/shop and this affect me, yes but I try to pinch my grocery just to make ends meet. I’m a family of three including my husband and daughter. My husband is the sole breadwinner for my family. For example, a big pack Thunderbolt flour a couple months back cost $420; now the flour cost $560. A pound of eschalot a couple months back cost $300; now the eschalot cost $800. I don’t think anyone can do anything about the cost of living; we just have to cope with it.”
Nazarene Salkram, a 64-year-old housewife said: “The cost of living is affecting my family and I a lot because everything expensive; the cost for everything going up in the markets/shops. If the money (salary) was increasing, it would be able to do to buy grocery items but it’s not increasing. The cost for greens gone up as well. My family of four which includes my husband, my grandson and nephew try to cope with the cost of living. My husband is a pensioner and he works as a security guard in the night to help provide for us. While my nephew works to assist us in the home. The cost for everything has gone up. For example, A big Wesson oil a couple months back cost $3,500/$3,600; now the oil cost $4,000. Also, a few months back a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $1,900; now the rice cost $2,400. The government should consider increasing people’s salary. Also, the government should carry up NIS a little more to help with the cost of living.”
Sukhdeo Ramroop, a pensioner said: “I run a grocery business and if the suppliers increase their prices for items, I also increase my mark up on food items. If the prices for items is high, I try to reduce the quantity I buy to cope with the cost of living. My two brothers, sister-in-law, two nephews and I live in the home but we do separate business to sustain ourselves. I run a grocery shop and also receive pension to cope with the cost of living while my family do construction work. For example, a couple months back a pound of potatoes cost $140; now the potatoes cost $200 a pound. Also, a pound of onions a couple months back cost $140; now the onions cost $200. Even the cost for a pound of garlic gone up. To me, I don’t think the government could do anything about the cost of living because the high cost came about due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. I just think we have to cope with the cost of living.”
Jennifer Persaud, a housewife said: “Right now the cost of living is high because the cost for everything has gone up at the supermarkets. For example, rice. A couple months ago a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $1,300; now the rice cost $2,500. Also, a couple months ago, a 3-litre oil cost $1,200/$1,300 some places; now the oil cost $2,200. My husband works everyday along with my daughter to provide for a family of four. We have to try to cope with the cost of living by knowing how to budget. We had our own kitchen garden but because of the rain and constant flooding in the area, we don’t have any plants at the moment. The cost for everything gone up, even the sugar price has increased at the supermarket. I think the government should increase people’s salary to help with the cost of living.”
Dhanieram Behari, a 46-year-old electronic technician said: “The cost for items at the shops and market is extremely high. The cost of living is affecting my mother and I because I’m not getting work and every day the cost for things going up. We just try to cope with the cost of living. I get in and out work and I try to maintain the home with whatever money I get whenever I get work; not everyday people will bring work for me to do. We got to try with the cost of living. Whenever I get the little work then I buy whatever we need and pay the utility bills. If I don’t get work, I have to do without. Everything gone up in the market. For example, a few months a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $1,800/$2,000/$2100 at some shops; now the rice cost $2,200 and something at the shop. A couple months ago, a 2-litre oil cost about $1,600; now the oil cost $2,600. Basically, people need jobs and better pay to help with the high cost of living.”
Deonarine Sukhlall, a 49-year-old mason said: “I’m a single parent and I have two children living with me and I do mason work to provide for their daily needs. My mother who lives with us try with her survival benefit.She is sickly right now and the benefit hardly do to maintain her to buy medication for her. I have to also pay the light bill which comes at a cost of $15,000/$16,000/$18,000 some months. Then I have to cover the internet cost so I can keep it running to help my children with their school work. The cost of living is affecting me a lot because in addition to the expense I have to cover, the cost for food items have gone up at the shops/markets. For example, a couple months ago a 10 kg Karibee rice cost $1,500/$1,800; now the rice cost $2,650. A few months back, a big Thunderbolt flour cost $460/$500 and something; now the flour cost $600. The cost for eggs and pluck chicken now gone up at the shop around here. I think the wholesaler should do something about their prices so the shop people can reduce their cost. Even the Chinese supermarket selling expensive and they are getting duty-free concessions. I don’t think the government can do anything about the cost of living but the government should look into how the Chinese supermarket selling their food items now.”
Ganshan Bipat, a 64-year-old pensioner/security guard said: “The cost of living is really high for me because the monthly pension cannot do to sustain myself. When I pay the light and water bills and then buy grocery items, I don’t have any money remaining to help me through the month. I work as a security guard to help myself but still that can’t do to sustain me because the cost for items is high at the shops/market. For example, a couple months ago, a 10 kg Karibee rice cost about $2,200; now the rice cost $2,650. Also, a 4-pound sugar a few months back cost $580; now the sugar cost $700. The Minister of Agriculture should work towards reducing the cost for food items more.”
