Dear Editor,
As a citizen of Guyana I cannot help but notice the continuation of an ominous trend being portrayed by this Government during their twenty-six years in power. That is their inability or unwillingness to address the plague of the high cost of living in Guyana. This was evident recently when senior officials of the Government got annoyed when members of the public queried about this ‘Bread and Butter’ issue and culminated with their atrocious behaviour in Parliament when they denied that any such problem existed.
Editor it is common knowledge that Members of Parliament represent the people in their constituencies when they speak in the House but the Government officials used this opportunity to oppose the cries of the poor and vulnerable that cannot cope with the high cost of living. Stabroek News’ Big Market Inflation List has confirmed that whatever moneys were given to the people in 2022 was not enough to sustain their livelihood. We are in for a repeat in 2023.
Imagine if Government Members of Parliament in the USA, England or Jamaica say that the building of roads is a remedy for the high cost of living. They might have had to resign.
I recently spoke to a farmer from the Essequibo Coast who said that he is being paid $90 per pound for plantains. This very item is being resold at the markets for as high as $300 per pound even at Parika. Why the Government cannot get involved with transportation of these produce from farm to market so that the vendors will have no excuse for taking advantage of the situation?
Editor, it is my firm opinion that this Government will not intervene to alleviate the high cost of living thus prolonging the high dependency of the poor and vulnerable on handouts.
Yours sincerely,
R. Khan
