Part 110
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Chanmattie Persaud, a 22-year-old housewife said: “Sometimes the cost of living will be hard for me and family to cope with, while sometimes it would be in and out. The cost for items has gone up at the shops and markets. My husband, my baby and I live together. My husband works as a taxi driver to provide for us. Sometimes he gets work, not steady but sometimes he doesn’t and that can be hard on us. Whenever my husband work, we try to save some of our money for hard times, so when hard times come, we can use that money in order to cope with the cost of living. Also, we would borrow money from relatives when we can’t afford to buy items, and pay them back because the cost of living is high. For example, a couple months back, a small bag rice cost about $1,900/$2,200; now the same bag rice cost about $2,400/$2,500. The cost for a big pack flour gone up now. A couple months back, a big pack Thunderbolt flour cost about $400/$540 and something; now, I’m paying $600 for flour. Even the cost for sugar gone up. I think companies that are producing items should consider reducing the cost per items, so the shop owners can do the same. Remember, shop owners have to make a profit for themselves. I don’t know if it’s the people at companies have to do something or the government to reduce high cost for items.”
Vernon Veersammy, a 46-year-old farmer said: “Right now, punishment is too much for my family and I to handle because whatever money I get to buy item at the shop, can’t buy anything much because the cost per items is expensive. $5,000 now could only buy two items; the money is big but when you go to spend it at the shop, it is not anything. I have five children and I get $40,000 a week; we can’t live properly with that amount. The cost of living is too high for us. I’m the only person working to provide for my family of seven, including my wife. All of my children ah go to school. Whatever little my family and I get, we try to make that do. Who are we going to tell? We can’t tell anybody. It’s a good thing there is a shop in here that give us lil trust, until we start to harvest our crops to sell. I plant cane and vegetables on my farm land. For example, a couple months back, a small Karibee rice cost $1,800; now, a small bag Karibee rice cost $2,400. Also, a couple months back a big pack Thunderbolt flour cost $560; the same pack flour cost $600 now. The government need to look into the cost of living, at least raise people’s salary; the cost of living is still too high with the little money we have. GuySuCo should consider raising their workers’ money.”
Oreelall, a 61-year-old said: “Every-thing is expensive because when I go in some supermarket and the market to buy items, the cost for items is expensive. Vendors in the market is selling items at a higher price. I have recently returned from St Kitts and Nevis after I was sick and I’m not working now but home waiting until August for NIS pension. Whatever money I save up when I was working, I’m using that to put with my brother who is a NIS pensioner to pay the utility bills and buy grocery items. I live with him. We have our garden at the back of the home where we planted some vegetables. I don’t buy grocery items one place; I mostly buy from the Chinese supermarket which sells items at a cheaper cost. The cost for fish gone up in the market. For example, before 4lbs Cuirass cost $1,000; now, it costs $2,000. Also, a couple months back a 1-kg Karibee rice cost $2,200; now, the same bag of rice cost $2,300. I am now buying the big bag Karibee rice for $8,800 because the cost for the smaller bag is expensive. If there is price control for items then the prices will be stable but if you don’t have that the cost for items will not be stable…”
Kenroy Solomon, a 33-year-old sugarcane worker said: “I left Guyana eight years now and return about three or four months ago. The cost for a lot of things has changed up since 2016 to now. Before, when I used to cut cane for $7,000, I could have supported my father and I for a week. Now $7,000 can’t even look after me for one day. I’m now working with GuySuCo. For example, before three boulanger cost like $100; now three boulanger cost $500. Now, the cost for items is more costly at places. I live with my partner and she runs a shop. When she buys items to sell back, the cost for something always increasing on the wholesale price for items. Her customers quarrel about the high prices she sells the items for. During the Christmas season, as soon as we buy an item and then later return to buy the same item, the cost went up for the item. Anything that is selling, the cost is increasing for that. For example, a couple months back a case of beer cost $6,000; now the same case of beer cost $7,000. A couple months back, she would sell a beer for $400; now she is selling the beer for $500. She barely makes $1,000 on a case. Shop owners do not make much in profit because just like how you get the money, you have to spend it back to buy items to sell back. The cost for grocery all gone up. I think the government should do something about the high cost of living.”
Surijpaul Amardeo, a 48-year-old carpenter said: “Cost of living is very high because when I work for $20,000 per week, I have children to send to school then, I have to buy grocery items…the money can’t even do to buy grocery items for the house. For example, a couple months back a 1-lbs cylinder cooking gas cost $2,400/$3,500; now the cooking gas cost $5,000 and something. Also, a couple months back, the cost for a 1-kg Karibee rice cost $2,200; now the same bag of rice cost $2,600. Sometimes I have to think what I’m doing to cope with the cost of living. I do a little gardening to make ends meet. I’m a family of seven, inclusive of my wife and five children. Cost of living need to balance with people’s wages.”
Dasmattie Jagmohan, a 42-year-old food vendor said: “The cost of living is kind of hard for my family and I because the cost for groceries and so, is high. The prices for groceries fluctuate; it’s not balance. Every time I go to the market to buy something, the vendors saying the items raise. When you get a whole family to maintain it is hard. I’m a family of five which includes, my two sons, daughter-in-law, husband and me. The only person not working is my daughter-in-law; everyone else work and sometimes we still find it hard because of the utility bills and grocery bill we have to pay. We want a comfortable life, I’m not complaining; we have to put it out there to get it. This life here, one person working can’t maintain a family. For example, a couple months back a big bag rice cost $7,000/$8,000; now the bag of rice cost $10,000. And, a couple months back, a 20lbs cylinder cooking gas cost $4,000/$4,500; now the rice cost $4,600. The government should consider reducing VAT on items so people who can’t afford it can manage the cost of living.”
Seema Ramnanan, a part-time health worker said: “The cost of living is not affecting my family a lot because just the cost for one and two items increases at the shop. The cost for rice and so gone up. I’m a family of three including my son and husband. My husband work to provide for us and I also work part-time in the health centre to help support us. Whatever little my family have, we try to make do with that. For example, a couple months back, a 10kg Karibee rice cost $1,900; now the rice cost $2,600. Also, before, a 5-litre bottle oil was cheaper; now that bottle of oil cost $2,600 and something. The government should consider reducing some cost for items to help people out because the cost for things going up…”
Priya Persaud, a 33-year-old housewife said: “The cost of living is high because the cost for things raised at the shop. The money my husband work for, is not enough to buy items because the cost for items is high. I’m a family of five, including my two daughters, husband and mother-in-law. Only my husband works. We try to cope with the cost of living. For example, a couple months back, a 10kg Karibee rice cost $1,500; now the Karibee rice cost $2,000. Also, a couple months back, a 20lbs cylinder gas cost $4,000; now the gas cost $4,500. Government should do something to reduce the cost for items, we can’t go to the shop and tell the people to reduce their cost.”
Avinash Bacchus, a 35-year-old labourer said: “The cost of living is very high because the cost for grocery has gone up. The cost for rice has gone up; the cost for everything has gone up at the shop and markets. For example, a couple months back, I bought a 10kg Karibee rice for $2,400; now the small bag rice cost $3,000. Also, a couple months back, a pound of flour cost $340; now I’m paying $400 for a pound of flour. I help provide for my mother-in-law, son and sister-in-law. I work as a painter, carpenter, construction worker to provide for my family. I try to budget myself to cope with the cost of living. I attended a meeting in Corentyne like two months ago and the Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told me that the cost of living is very high when I told him about it, and he said, he will provide something for us but until now, I haven’t received anything as yet. If he wants to help us it’s not anything like free but it’s the community, the Caribbean, if he can drop down something (food items) for us, so we can afford it.”
Lokesha Gopee, a cane harvester said: “The cost of living is very high. The cost for electricity, water, food gone up at the shop/market; the cost for everything gone up. I’m the sole provider for my wife and son. My weekly wages are small and it could barely do to provide for my family; it is very small. Whatever we get, we use to cope with the cost of living. For example, before a 3-litre bottle oil cost $1,000; now the oil cost $1,400. Also, a couple months back, a 25 lbs bag rice cost $2,000; now the same bag of rice cost $2,800. The cost of living is affecting my neighbour as well. The government should do something about the cost of living; give us a voucher or grocery every month or something to help with the cost of living.”