Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara in Region Four about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Keino Argyle
Keino Argyle, a 45-year-old shop owner said: “I’m living by myself and I buy my own groceries, I don’t wait until my groceries are finished, instead I would budget myself since items in the market is indeed high. Look, the other day I couldn’t buy a pound of celery since a pound of celery is $3,000 a pound. As a vegetarian, the greens fluctuates, one time it is expensive, the other it is cheaper. I don’t pay it no mind because who can I complain to, when no one correspond back to the people here in Ann’s Grove. Even a pressure pipe is expensive now, the cost now is $7,000, before it was cheaper. Back to the greens, a single carrot cost $200 now, before it was $100; even a pack of carrot cost $200 before too. Another thing is the small bag Karibee rice, before the price was $1,600/$1,400, now that same pack cost $3,000; it’s double the money now, if you look at it. The government need to do more things for the people because the cost of living is high. They need to do something for the poorer people.”
Linden Jerrick
Linden Jerrick, 62-year-old bus driver said: “I am going with the flow, for me the government can’t stop the cost of living to rise because they borrowed money from financial institution to develop Guyana. What we can do is to try to cope with the cost of living. I’m coping with the cost of living. Another thing is that we need people to produce more in Guyana. What I say though is that vehicle parts have gone up. It’s very expensive. For instance, a few months ago, a set of brakes pad cost $4,000, now that same set cost $6,000. Then, you have the liner that I purchase for my bus, before a set of liner cost $4,500, now the cost is $7,000. This is not like long ago when they had the price control system on items. Now, what you need you have to buy it despite the price is high.”
Debbie Toney
Debbie Toney, 63-year-old food vendor said: “I had to stop selling drinks and other things and just focus on selling food since the prices of these things have gotten expensive. I can’t even
take on people to help me cook and sell food because the money to pay them is a problem — sometimes I would not get the sales. Things that I buy to make food to sell is expensive, everything gone up in the market. You see that five-gallon bottle oil? The price is $3,000 now, before it was cheaper, it cost $2,500, $2,200 and $1,800. Even the price for sugar high, a pound of sugar now is $160, before it was $30 a pound; everything just going up. We also need a lot of assistance in Ann’s Grove because the roads are not good too. Also there is bad drainage here. I would like the government of Guyana to look into this, not just the rising cost of living. Look at my daughter-in-law, she’s a single parent with a lot of children and she had to start doing cleaning work to provide for them because everything gone up. I am glad if she can get some kind of assistance from the government. I think the government should cut down on the cost of living and help people with some soft loan. People need help in the home now and if you don’t give them help, they gon and thief and so.”
Keneisha Lamizon
Keneisha Lamizon said: “The cost of living gone up high because things have gotten expensive more and more each day. Things like milk gone up… sugar price now is $140 a pound, before it was sold at a $100 a pound. The salary too, is not enough because as a single mother of six children, $50,000 a month can’t do to provide for my kids. When you draw the money, it gone; I’m not even getting to save. The government of Guyana should help us a little in lowering the prices for food stuff so the items can be affordable for each family.”
Irvin Duke
Irvin Duke said: “The cost of living is high since the food and the utility bill that comes every month is expensive, and we are not making enough money to pay for these things when the month comes. When you break $5,000, the money finish. Everyone crying out how the prices for these food items gone up, not just me. Look at the cost for a big pack of Natura milk now, it is sold for $700, before the price was $620. Plantains price gone down to $200 a pound from $260 a pound just a few day ago, but that’s too high still since plantains used to be cheaper than that. The government should create more jobs, especially for our young people. Nowadays, they have been involved in a lot of criminal activities because they don’t have jobs to get a salary when the month comes. People in general can’t even work to afford the cost of living because the salary is low and on somedays, some family can’t afford to prepare a meal for their family. Another thing, is the government should implement proper drainage in this village, the trench all want cleaning. This is affecting us because when the rain falls the place flood a lot. The government should look into these things in this village.”
Volda Woodlford
Volda Woodlford, 61-year-old fruits vendor said: “The cost of living is very high today because when you suppose to pay – let’s say, $20 for an item, you are paying $50. I’m a housewife and I have to sell my fruits to help my small daughter to provide for her children and the household. My daughter’s salary alone can’t do to pay the utility bill and for food. She even have to pay the daycare. She gets about $18,000 per week, when taxed she left with about $13,000/$15,000 for that week. The government should help single moms out there. I tell you, even fruits expensive. I used to buy a dozen pine for $4,500 a few month back, now I’m paying $5,000 for that same dozen. Even oranges gone up, before I used to buy 100 oranges for $6,000, now I’m getting that same 100 oranges for $10,000 and $8,000. Fruits and so, people plant it right here, so I think the government should place a control price on these things so it won’t be so expensive. Another thing they should do, is to look into the high prices of items in the market. As a pensioner also, I would have bear to up until month end comes.”
Patricia Sertimer
Patricia Sertimer, 76-year-old pensioner said: “The cost of living gone up a lot, even the greens that’s growing right here is so hard to buy; even fish expensive. It is really affecting me, much less single parents. For instance, I bought two snapper for $4,000 and before I could get more fish for less than $2,000 to do for my family of four. What I see the government is doing though, is providing a piece of land for people who have been waiting years to own their own land, and that’s good. The government managed to help a lot of low-income people, I’m happy about that. However, greens is too expensive, people suffering a lot to buy that for their family. Things that used to be selling cheap is now expensive. For example, pumpkin: before pumpkin was $120 a piece, now it is more expensive. The government should try to look into the rise in prices for these food items.”
Shelly Cambridge
Shelly Cambridge said: “Well I’m building my house and I see that construction materials are expensive but I’m trying to cope with it. I found that things such as zinc sheet is expensive now, a 12 feet zinc sheet cost $3,000 now, before it was $2,500. Even blocks expensive: 100 blocks
now cost $10,000, before it was $8,000. I find I’m spending more than I budgeted for, not just on construction materials but food items and I have one child going to school and it’s rough on me. The government should at least raise the salary so we the people can afford to buy things.”
Dereck Sinclair
Dereck Sinclair said: “Well things really gone up in the market, when you working, you are not working for a lot of money to mind the family. Things such as provision gone up. Before, the cost of provision was $80 a pound, now it cost $200 a pound. As a person who sells provision, I’m barely making a profit. Another thing is the chowmein price gone up, before it was $200 a pack, now the same pack cost $360. If you’re not buying chowmein on a large scale, you would not get the discount you should get. The government should work out something so they can help the poorer class of people so the high prices on food items can be cut down.”
