Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Nooten Zuil, 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
Tulsiram Mohandus
Tulsiram Mohandus, a 36-year-old self-employed man said: “Everybody knows the cost of living going up every day but the cost for items is not going down. And when the cost for something goes up, it doesn’t come down back. The cost of living is affecting my mother and I because the body work I do, I earn the same amount of money everyday as the cost for things keeps going up every day making it impossible for me to save. Both my mom and I work to help with the daily expenses such as: paying the utility bills and buying groceries. For example, recently I purchased a 10 kg Karibee rice for my mom at the supermarket. I paid $2,300 in that week; when I returned to the store the next week, the bag of rice now cost $2,700. Also, a couple weeks back a 2-litre bottle drink cost $520 at some shops in the area; now the same drink cost $580 at some shops. Sometimes some of the shop owners overdo it with the cost because it is not necessary for them to raise the cost so much but still they do. If you go to the supermarket in the area, you will get the items at a cheaper cost. The government should look into how the shops/small businesses price their items for resale.”