Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the Better Hope East Coast Demerara area about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Singh, a 64-year-old shop owner said: “Everything gone up in the market but my shop is still open and I’m selling one and one thing. Although I’m buying items at a high price in the market, I’m selling back the price for my drinks at the same price when they were selling at a cheaper price in the market. I would sell a little drinks and bread because I have rent to pay and utility bills to pay too. Right now things are expensive in the market and it’s hard on me sometimes since I have these bills to pay and so and then sometimes the sales are slow in the shop. Right now a pound of plantain in the market is $240, a few month ago it was about $200 and cheaper. Even fish price gone up; I’m paying $2,000 for a piece of Snapper now, before it was about $1,000. A pound of beef now is $800, before a pound of beef was about $600. Things really get expensive. The government is trying but the people, I think who’s buying items to sell back, are the one raising the prices for food items and the government should check it out.”
Balram Arjune
Balram Arjune said: “Things gone up in the market and it’s affecting a lot of people. Before, a 10kg bag of Karibee rice cost about $1,800/ $1,900 some places, now that same bag of rice cost $3,000 and $5,000. Everything gone up in the market, even down to onions; a pound of onions now is $240, before it was cheaper. I can’t say what the government should do about this because throughout the world, prices for items gone up, not only in Guyana, we just have to cope with it. Even down to the meat gone up.”
K Balkissoon
K. Balkissoon, a 46-year-old vegetables and fruits vendor said: “I have no comments as relation to how the cost of living is affecting me but what I can say is that everything has gone up in the market and I’m trying to cope with it. I think it is not the farmers who are raising the prices for food items, but the middle men who are buying from the farmers to sell back to the consumers.
They are the ones carrying up the prices for the items. The price for bananas, for example, gone up. Before, a pound of banana was about $220/200, now a pound of banana is about $260 and $300. I think it’s not the government fault, you just have to cope with the rising cost of living.”
Harry Lall said: “Everything gone up in the market, even firewood gone up, and it’s affecting everyone because when the month come, it’s hard for some people to pay the utility bills. Even chicken curry and roti expensive to buy now. Nowadays, when you go to the market with $15,000, you come back with a few items, nothing much because down to meat expensive. A pound of beef now cost $900, before the cost per pound was $500.
Even rent all gone up. Look at the cost for a tray of eggs now, the cost is $1,500, before a tray of eggs was $1,200/$1000. Thief men is in the area robbing people and when you mine two fowls, thieves coming and steal the fowls and it is a waste of time complaining to the police because nothing is being done about it. Another thing is, we are producing things right here in Guyana and our things are expensive. Our best Gillbacker fish is being shipped overseas and here in Guyana it is sold expensive.
I think the government should cut back on the prices of items imported into the country… put it at a certain price so the people can afford to buy it. Also, for our local produce grown right here, the prices have to be reasonable for us, the people. Another thing is, I really will like it if the government could do the road that is located at the back of Better Hope. The road is bad. Also, the particular area need to spray and the roads need some speed bumps because in here people are driving reckless.
And, the government should sell the house lot at a cheaper price to the locals, so they can afford to pay for the house lot and raise the prices for the foreigners.”
Indranie Singh said: “Everything gone up in the market and I’m not working because I’m a sickly person. I put in for public assistance four years now and until now, I haven’t gotten through.
I used to fry plantain chips and sell, but I had to stop because the price have gone up and because of my sick foot. Two pounds of plantains now is about $400, before the same two pounds was for $300. Also, the oil to fry it is expensive, a small bottle of oil now cost $700 and before it cost $300. My brother used to support me, but he died. The cost of living is affecting me a lot because I can’t afford to buy things and some days I don’t have things to cook.
I’m glad if I could get some assistance from the government. I think the government should drop the prices on food items because the rich people can afford to buy things, but the poor people can’t afford it.”
Sumintra Budhram
Sumintra Budhram said: “Groceries get expensive now because when I used to go to the market with $15,000 to buy all my groceries, I now have to go with $25,000. Main food items such as sugar, expensive. I find I’m spending more than I’m saving and this is affecting me. For instance, the two medium Karibee rice now cost about $2,000/$2,100. Before the cost was $1,500/$1,600 for the same bag of rice. Sugar cost $600 a pound now, before it was $300 a pound, oil all expensive. I think the government should try to carry down the price for basic food items because things are expensive in the market.”
Rajpatie Persaud
Rajpatie Persaud, an 80-year-old pensioner said: “The rising cost of living is affecting me very bad since recently I had a surgery done and I live alone and when I have to buy items in the market I’m seeing that everything is expensive. These times are hard and I could see that everyone is hustling for themselves. I think the government should look into the price that food items are sold for in the market. Also, the taxi can’t come in the street by the seawall because it’s not good and I would have to get assistance to walk out the street to the taxi whenever I have doctor appointments. I would like the government to visit the last street by the seawall and help the residents and also to do the roads. Things such as oil is expensive, for instance, a 2-litre bottle oil now cost $2,700, before the cost was $1,800. And, two pounds of plantains now cost $500, before two pounds of plantains cost $250. The government should really look into this.”
Radica Ketkram
Radica Ketkram said: “Every time you go to the market, the price for the items raising; everything now is expensive. Down to salt expensive, a pound of salt now is $200, before a pound of salt was $100. And, flour price jumped a lot, now 2 pounds of flour cost $400, before the cost was $240 for the same two pounds of flour. This is affecting me a lot because I’m not working anywhere. My husband fell sick and I had to leave my job to take care of him and my grandchild while my son works to provide for a family of six persons including me. I applied for my land, I got through but I don’t have money to build on it. I went into the Ministry of Housing many times for assistance to build the house and they said they will call me back. Up to now I didn’t get through. I really would like the government to assist me with this. Also, if basic food items drop in the market, it would be good for everyone.”
Mohammed Ishmael
Mohammed Ishmael said: “Everything is high for us but we are trying to cope with it. When you used to go to the market with $10,000 a week to buy groceries, now you can’t go with that, you have to go with $20,000/$30,000 a week for groceries. Mind we don’t have electricity, refrigerator, water, so everything is expensive for us. Not forgetting, things rising in the market every day and now. Both parties have to be working from the home because things are expensive. I think the government should look into the rise in these prices in the market.”
Gaitri Alli
Gaitri Alli, a shop owner said: “One week, the price for the items in the market go up and the other week, the items are at a different price. The prices rotates in the market; you can’t complain but instead pay the price for the items. The cost of living is not affecting me so badly as I’m trying to cope with it. For instance, now I’m getting 2 or 3 boulanger for $500, before I used to get four for $500. Rice all gone up. Now a medium pack Karibee rice cost $2,000, before that same bag of rice was $1,300/$1,200. I think the government should try to drop the cost of living and put it at one stable price. Even sugar all expensive.”
