This week we asked the man/woman in the street for their thoughts about the rise in food prices. Their responses were as follows:
Kerwin Hazelwood, father – ‘Some of the food prices were raised yes and I had to spend more money than I would usually budget for. Things like the tin stuff and peas rose very high. I would recommend that they should stop VAT and make it better for Guyanese living in this country or if they want just reduce the taxes they got people paying on everything.’
Doris Persaud, footwear vendor – ‘For this year since it start, I didn’t see any prices rise in the markets. Things are just like it was last year. I would agree from 2011-2012 there was a drastic rise in essentials like meat and milk. I would advise the higher authority to discuss the matter because it affects persons who live in a home and have to consume a large amount of food, but all we got to do is pray and ask God for a better living.’
Joseph Johnson, father – ‘Business slow for some people because money is not there to support the families financially. Things like chicken and greens gone up so much. Imagine you can’t make soup to drink. I wonder how some families make it with six and seven children. Five percent more can’t pay anybody especially in these hard times. VAT needs to be decreased. That’s the only way we could solve this problem.’
Nefeeza Khan, businesswoman – ‘Prices rising higher and higher in the market everyday. If you go to the market with $1,000 it can only buy milk and couple of things even bread expensive. I don’t think there is nothing that can be done to solve the issue.’
Colin Beveney, entrepreneur – ‘Food and milk get expensive in the market and it’s very hard for people live without those essentials. I think they need to lower VAT and raise the pay of people that working hard.’
Donnette Harding, mother – ‘Everything in this country get too expensive now. I have six children and when I go to the market to buy pumpkin it could only cook for three people with the size it got and that is not all you got to buy chicken and rice plus the seasoning and that’s just lunch. What about breakfast and dinner? They need to reduce VAT and make things cheaper in the market.’
Clifton Anderson, self employed – ‘As a self-employed person I don’t really feel it but things ain’t cheap in the market and people don’t have money to shop. I got a family and I have to spend like $30,000 a month on groceries. Some of these same goods are old and persons exploit to get them sold. GRA should look into this thing as soon as possible.’
Nandanie Ramchand – ‘Market got more sellers than buyers. Greens, fish and chicken gone up bad and people can’t live in them circumstances. Everything need to go down because people can’t buy; they don’t have money.’
Nora Singh, vendor – ‘Well it is not bothering me in no way because I have a small family. Prices rise a bit like flour and chicken but it is not that bad. Well there is nothing we can do about it just live, I guess.’
Kishan Persaud, businessman – ‘Things are not really expensive you know but the cost of living does be up and 
down sometimes. People who got a huge family though I think they find it hard to live. Well they could make things easy by reducing the VAT so people could live good.’
