Cost of essential building items

Dear Editor,

Something seems not to be right with the withdrawal of VAT on essential building materials. Consumers seem to be paying increased costs for items such as cement, steel rods and lumber.

I am in the process of building a house which commenced in last September and lumber costs remain the same.

The cement price, a week ago, was a little over sixteen hundred dollars, today it is eighteen hundred dollars for TCL.

Steel rods and roofing materials are scarce, a few businesses are having a grand time.

Cooking gas has increased in price from $3300 to $3700 at the various outlets. This is the green twenty-pound cylinder.

Gasoline prices have dropped and it was hoped that consumer commodities would be a wee bit cheaper.

Businesses always have a way of defending price increases while the consumers bear the brunt of the costs.

The government is trying to cushion the burden of those at the bottom but there is a kink somewhere that prevents the people at the bottom from benefitting.

We all know that the consumer pays the final price, there is no one to whom he can pass it.

I am a lay person and I only hope that with the approval of the budget estimates, there will be some adjustment to the cost of essential items.

Yours truly,
(Name and address supplied)