Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in the areas of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Annandale, East Coast Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Naresh Visson, a 48-year-old businessman said: “The cost of living has been affecting me a lot since I can’t afford certain food items. I’m working for $20,000 a week and from that I have to pay utility bill, pay bank, Internet bill and at the same time provide for my family of seven. I find that the money I’m working for is not enough to provide for my family because everything gone up in the market. When I go to the supermarket with $23,000/$33,000, the food items would come up to $38,000. I can’t afford to buy clothes now since everything gone up, just to work and eat only. For example, a 1 gallon bottle of cooking oil cost $5,800 now; before the cost was $2,800. A small sack of Karibee rice was $1,160 a couple months back, now the same sack of rice cost $2,060. Even flour, sugar – gone up. I’m buying 10 eggs for $2,000 now; a few months ago, 10 eggs cost $100. Things really expensive. Right now I’m trying to sell out my property to buy a smaller property in order to have spending money. I have a shop here but business is slow. I think the government should reduce the cost on imported items in order to help with the cost of living.”
