Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal and Bebi Oosman
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the areas of Lesbeholden, Mibicuri, Johanna and Yakusari in Black Bush Polder, Corentyne about the cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Zameel Rahamat, a 65-year-old Cash crop farmer: `Cost of living is high in the country and it is affecting people. Everything expensive in the market including groceries. I would not be able to say what the cost for items now in the market are since my wife does the grocery shopping. What I can say is, when I harvest crops, the crops are sold to the retailer at a cheaper price but the retailers are the one who are selling the crops to the consumers at a higher cost. Well, I see the cost for fertilizer gone down now which is good but the price for groceries are still expensive. For instance, when planting my last crop, a bag of Urea fertilizer cost $10,000/$9,000 at some places; now the same bag of fertilizer cost 5000/6000 some place. The government is doing well, however, the government should look into the cost of living because groceries are not cheap, it is getting expensive every day. Another thing is, the government distributing items to help farmers but not all farmers receive the items since not all of them are aware of the government distributions.’
Bashir Khan: `Most of the basic food items gone up in the market and this is affecting me a lot since the salary is low. For instance, a pack of flour now cost $240; before the same pack cost $200. Even transportation cost high, I’m paying $300 from Lesbeholden to Adventure village now; before I used to pay $100. I think the government should increase people’s salary.’
Anthony Singh, a 32-year-old snackette owner: `The cost of living is very high since basic food items are sold expensive in both the supermarkets and markets. We started a fast food business like three months now and since then I have to constantly raise my price for food sold to consumers, when the cost for basic food items raise in the markets. The prices of food items keeps getting higher, every time we go the markets. Two months now and we haven’t saved any money, we just using the money from the sales to resell again in order to make ends meet. As a family of three, this is hard on us, for example, to make our local juice to resell to consumers, we need sugar and the cost for two pounds of sugar now is $360; before the cost was $260. Also, chicken expensive, a pound of chicken now cost $360; before a pound of chicken was $280 a pound. People are not working for a lot of money daily because people such as, a labourer, can’t even sustain his family with the payments received for a day’s work since basic food items are expensive in the markets. I think the government should drop the cost of living and people can work for the same salary, in that way, life will be easier for us.’
Shivanie Dindayal, 20-year-old housewife: `Well some items are expensive in the market while some items are sold cheaper. It doesn’t make sense I look for the place that is selling cheaper, to buy the items because I still have to get the items. So, who sells what cheaper or expensive doesn’t matter since I can’t do anything about it. Yes, the cost of living is affecting me when purchasing basic food items for my family of two including my family but there is nothing we can do about it. When I go to the market basic food items such as the cost for rice and oil gone up, for example, a bag of rice now cost 3,400 for half sack brown rice; before the cost was $2,300/$2,200 for a half sack brown rice. A 1 gallon bottle of oil cost $3000 now; a few months ago, the cost for the same bottle oil was $1,800. I think the government should carry down the high prices on food items that are sold at the market.’
Samantha Park, a 47-year- old cash crop farmer: `Well the cost of living is high a little for me since it’s affecting me financially but you have to continue to try with it, you can’t give up. When I visited the supermarket on Tuesday, I saw that the price for a pound of onions gone up. A pound of onions cost $360/$400 in the supermarket; before the cost per onions was $80/$100. All grocery items gone up in the supermarket, a pound of sugar is $200; a few months ago, a pound of sugar was $100. As a cash crop farmer, even the drugs to spray the grass is expensive. Also, the retailers who purchase the crop from us to resell, they would say vegetables drop in the market but still I seeing the opposite and I would have to sell my crops at a cheaper price to get a sale. I think the government should create more payable jobs for people because it doesn’t make sense you’re working for a low salary and food items are expensive in the market. The salary should be able to accommodate a family consisting of eight persons since we still have bills to pay, subtract the clothes and shoes we may not have to buy every week. Also, when I don’t have any crop in harvest as yet, it is hard on me to maintain my family of eight including five children for another week since I would have to find at least $5000, exclusive of meat for my family a week. It would be good for us cash farmers, if the government can assist us with something in this period to help us since my family depends on the farm for a living as other family members are not really employed to help out with the grocery for a week whenever I don’t have any crop in harvest.’
Kamleshwar Dayasindoo, a 43-year-old NDC worker: `I can’t even buy a month’s grocery for my home since my salary is low and food items are expensive in the market. And, for the past two to three years the salary hasn’t risen for local government staff but other people’s salary raising and I’m a worker attached to the Community Infrastructure Improvement Programme. It’s hard to maintain my family of five persons, including my three children and wife with net salary of around $65,000. I had to take on another job to help to support my family because the basic food items are expensive. For instance, a pound of onions cost $280/$300 now; before the cost per pound of onions was $100. Also, a pound of onion now cost $160; a few months back a pound of onions was $60. Some food items that are produced in our country, should not be sold so expensive in the markets than imported items, even still imported or natural grown items should not be sold so expensive in the market. The government should look into this.’
Iqball Subrattee, a 43-year-old farmer: `Well everything hard right now because as a rice and livestock farmer when I plant rice, I’m not making back the money I have invested to plant the rice. Apart from that, the drugs and workman’s salary have risen in the market. Even though fertilizer gone down a little, the price is still high for us farmers since we are not getting a good price for the paddy. For instance, Fertilizer Triple 1515 cost $9,450 now; before the cost for the same fertilizer was $11,000 and something. I could recall that a few months back, I used to give my wife $20,000 for grocery and she would get all the basic items excluding meat; now , she’s collecting $40,000/$50,000 to buy grocery for the home. I think the government should drop the cost of basic food items that are sold in the markets.’
Bisnauth Samaroo: `The cost of living is high for me financial since everything gone up in the market. In Yakusari the cost for items are high and when you buy it from the supermarket which is located out of Yakusari, it is expensive. I’m a family of two persons including my mother and as a cattle and cash crop farmer all vegetables and livestock are expensive. When I used to buy the 1 gallon Wesson oil for $4,000, I’m paying $4,800 for the same bottle of oil now. The Natura milk expensive too, a pound pack Natura milk cost about $860; before the cost was $600/$660. Also, a pound of beef now cost $500; before the cost was $300 and something. I think the government should see how they can help poor people with the rising cost of living.’
Gaitree Jaikissoon, a 33-year-old fast food vendor: `The cost of living is high for me since items are sold expensive in the market at a high price. When I’m purchasing the items to make my food to sell to consumers, I’m feeling the high prices on the food items because I can’t afford to buy it sometimes. For instance, a one gallon bottle of oil cost $3000; a few months back the bottle of oil cost $2,300. Even sugar gone up, four pounds of sugar cost $700 now; before the cost was $360/$400. I have a 2 year old and six months year old son and he’s disabled since he has motor disability known as cerebral palsy. I’m trying with him, even if I have to cut down on the expenses to take care of my son, I would do that. I think the government should help people with the cost of living because people can’t afford to buy basic food items sometimes.”
Roshnie Bhiro, a 40-year-old farmer: `The cost of living is high because as a cash crop farmer when I sell my vegetables, I have about $15,000 and that amount of money can’t do to buy grocery for my family of five. Also, every day something rising in the market. For instance, a 1 gallon Wesson oil cost $4,300 before; now the cost is $4,600. If I used to buy a half bag sugar for $4000; I’m now paying $6000/$7000 for that same half bag sugar. The government should try to lower the cost for basic food items sold in the market since many people can’t afford the high price food items are sold for right now.’
