We asked the man/woman in the street on the West Coast Demerara about the major problems facing them right now. Below are their responses:
Dawn Thomas, undertaker – ‘I don’t allow things to bother me. I go with the flow in spite of changes that take place in the country. That is mainly because I believe in a God who says that with Him all things are possible and I believe everything that He says. I don’t question it. I don’t really face any problems at all. The secret is putting your trust in God and believing that whatever He says He will do, that is what He will do.’
Stay Bowin, fruit vendor – ‘The problem is the stress that they bring the other day. The VAT is a big stress to people right now. It affecting me a lot because I selling in front of a store and when people come out they say the VAT and walk away; they don’t buy anymore. I lucky to get some people to buy before they go in the store. My sales drop a lot. I think they got to call off the VAT. We culture ain’t ready yet for that, money ain’t raising. Nobody ain’t getting any raise of pay. The major problem is money. They does pay the worker cheap for their labour. Everything just gone up and money ain’t coming.’
Barbra Goring, supervisor – ‘The VAT bother me a lot at first, everything raise, shop owner raising everything in the shop and then your salary ain’t raise and you still have a tax on your money. You got to pay more; some of the shop owner vatting everything. With VAT and tax you believe poor man could live on that. I have those problems where I am living in Soesdyke.’
Nazmoon, self-employed – ‘When you go in the supermarket is everything you got to pay more for like milk, milo, coffee, all them thing raise up. I ain’t know in town but over here it raise. The money that I work for I can’t buy nothing with it. I used to work in a cook shop from 7 in the morning till 8 in the night for $800 a day. I had to leave it two weeks ago because the money can’t do. Even now it hard. I blame the shop people for the raise [in prices]. They should make a decision because I hear they say that they buy dear and they say they got to sell back dear. All kinds of things me hear.’
Ronald Lopes, driver – ‘The main thing is car parts like tyre, oil, price raise. It raise because they vatted them thing. It affecting me very bad because I service my car every month and some months you ain’t able to service because business bad right now. People hardly travelling, because they say is VAT too. When you go to buy ration also, it affecting me bad. I does got to give my wife extra money now because everything raise. And the thing that they say zero-rated, when you go to buy you pay VAT on the flour, rice, sugar.’
Deonarine Bisnauth, watch salesman – ‘My problem is Gill, the chairman of the NDC. He want the vendors to move from the road for the world cup. He threatens us and he brings people to break down the stands. He try to break down mine but I move off. We had meeting two times but it didn’t make a difference. He needs changing and bring in new people. Then it got the VAT, certain things raise like sugar, and them raise. I hear sugar suppose to be zero-rated but them businessmen raise the price. By three months time we gon see what gon happen. It affecting me bad. I really think they should withdraw the VAT. We ain’t ready for that yet because we got too much poor people in the country. We don’t need VAT.’
Devanand Sankar, pig farmer – ‘My problem is the implementation of VAT and the prices of things gone up. I am a pig farmer and some feed for pigs raise like wheat middling, rice bran, fine rice and corn. And right now you working on a smaller profit margin and more pressure pon you and your family; spending power is less. They got to reduce VAT from 16% and bring it to under 10%. It too much for the people. In Guyana the people don’t get 16% raise; they get 2%, 5% or 7 % and they also tax the salary. People wages are very small to match with all the VAT. I ain’t really get no other problem.’
Ramnarine Sonrah, minibus driver – ‘My problem is the high degree of competition among the buses. It affects me financially and I earn less than I would have earned. It started about five to six years ago. It affecting everybody and more and more buses are coming on to the road. I think if there is a drop in the price of gasoline that can assist greatly. When it drops, it would cost a lesser amount per day. VAT also is a problem. All the shops in my village, Zeelugt are putting VAT on every single item whether it is VATised or not. I live alone and I have to do the shopping. I pay more on every item and I earn the same amount of money. I think the government should enforce laws in relation to shop owners who charge VAT on items which don’t carry VAT. I ain’t get no more problem.’
Salome Ralph, caf
