Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Free and Easy, Essequibo Coast in Region Two about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Hubert Sukhai, a 36-year-old construction worker said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because the little money I’m working for goes to groceries, nothing more. More than 10 person live in the home and we put our money together to pay the utility bills but we buy individual groceries for our family. I take care of my wife and daughter. The cost of living is high. For example, a couple months back, a bag of rice cost $1,400/$1,600; now the rice cost $2,200. Also, a few months back, a small bottle oil cost $100 and something; now the oil cost $300 and something. The government should consider raising construction workers’ pay because at the end of the week, the money is not sufficient to maintain our family. I think the government should speak to the contractor to increase workers’ wages because our work is high risk.”
