Stabroek News spoke to members of the public at Timehri, East Bank Demerara about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmanga
Kelly Sookwah said: “The cost of living is high because the cost for all food items have increased in the market. The income that comes into the home monthly can’t do to buy food items for the home. I’m hardly saving now. I’m not really working, my husband is and the transportation cost he has to pay every day from Timehri to his work which is located on the East Coast Demerara and back home is really high. We have a son that attends the Diamond Secondary School to provide for. The cost for vegetable, poultry items and other items have increased in the markets. For example, a tray of eggs a few months cost $1,400/$1,500; now a tray of eggs cost $1,800. A slice of pumpkin that cost $240 before; now cost $600. A pound of hot peppers that cost $300 a few months ago; now cost $1,000. I think the government should distribute more farm lands to people interested in farming so Guyana can have a larger production in order to have the cost for poultry items and other locally grown crops reduce.”
Lynette Thomas
Lynette Thomas said: “The cost of living is affecting me a lot because the cost for food items is increasing every day. I can’t afford to buy a slice of pumpkin right now. I’m a family of three, including my fiancé, my granddaughter and I. Right now, whatever food items my family have, we have to make do with that. My fiancé and I are working and the cost of living is still affecting us since our salaries are not enough to sustain us. For example, a slice of pumpkin that cost $300; now cost $800. Also, a few months ago, a pound of celery cost $1,000; now a pound of celery cost $4,000. Well, I planted seasoning such as thyme in my kitchen garden so I don’t have to buy. I didn’t buy vegetables in town a while now. The government should help people to get better salary because we need better salary. Also, the government should provide farming materials to farmers here in Timehri or farmers anywhere in Guyana in order to increase the production of vegetables in Guyana.”
Lawrence Torres
Lawrence Torres, a 56-year-old businessman said: “The cost of living is affecting me tremendously because the cost for food items has increased in the markets. For instance, rice, the company I usually buy rice from, don’t have any at the moment to supply me with. Things are really hard up here in Timehri. I sell groceries to cope with the high cost and to transport the groceries alone to Georgetown to resell, is costly. For example, a bag of onions a few months ago cost $4,800; now a bag of onions cost $7,800. A bag of garlic that cost $4,500 before; now cost $7,500 a bag. Also, a pound of hot peppers that cost $260; now cost $1,100/$1,200 a pound. The government should visit this area and see what help the farmers need and to assist them. The prolong dry weather are not just affecting Timehri farmers but other farmers as well, so the government should try to help the farmers with whatever resources in this situation. Also, the people in the Timehri area are having a serious problem in relation to water. The people are not getting water for months and when the water finally comes, we are getting water once per week and the water comes out in a red colour. People are suffering when it comes to water here but don’t want to say anything. I think the government should visit the area and investigate because when we call Guyana Water incorporated, they do nothing about the problem.”
Sarah Bacchus, a 41-year-old bartender said: “The cost of living is hard on me when it comes to the cost of groceries and transportation for the kids to go to school every day. I’m the only one working in the home at the moment; my husband is not working right now. I’m a family of four including my two daughters. When I go to the market, sometimes I can’t afford to purchase grocery items I need for the home because the cost has increased. I received the $25,000 per household but that wasn’t enough for my family because the cost alone for vegetables gone up. For example, a slice of pumpkin that cost $300 a few months ago: now cost $1,040. 12 bora in a parcel that cost $100 a few months ago; now cost $300. I’m buying two potatoes for $500 now; before it was cheaper like $140/$160. The cost of living is very hard for my family and I. I think the government should investigate the people who are selling these grocery items since I believe that they are the ones raising these items for no reason. When I go to the shop, the exact grocery items I bought in the morning for $5,000, I can’t get back that price in the afternoon when I return to the shop to buy the same grocery items.”
Aaliyah Williams
Aaliyah Williams, a 20-year-old housewife said: “My husband works as a mason and he works for $30,000 a week. His salary can’t do to support his family of four including his child because when we do some grocery shopping, the money finishes quickly. Even the cost to buy pampers for my baby has increased. I’m a family of four including my two kids. For example, a few months ago a 36-pack of pampers cost $2,600; now that same pack of pampers cost $4,000. Also, an infant formula a few months ago cost $3,500; now the formula cost $4,000 and something. If my husband doesn’t do his additional small-scale planting, we can’t get an additional income. The cost of living is affecting me because I’m searching for a job but I’m not finding any job. Timehri is seen as a hard place because people don’t want to give certain people jobs. I think the government should provide more jobs for people with qualification or without and not just special people.”
Alice Rodney
Alice Rodney, a 46-year-old single parent said: “Well, sometimes the cost of living is hard on me as a single parent to five girls but I try to manage financially. Two of my girls attend school, so I try to manage the high cost for food items by purchasing items for my kids every three month since I have repairs to do at my home which I’m experiencing some setback due to the high cost right now. I’m working but the salary is not increasing and the cost for food items just increasing in the markets. I recently went to the market to buy groceries and couple plastic bags containing food items cost about $20,000; before I could have gotten more groceries for that money. For example, a few months ago, the small pack Fernleaf milk that cost $500 had increased to $600; now the same pack of milk cost $1,000. A 2 kg Thunderbolt flour that cost $380/$400 a few months ago; now cost $620 for the same pack. A bottle of cooking gas that cost $3,800/$4000 a few months ago here; now cost $5,000 up here. Even the cost for a 10kg bag of Karibee rice and drinking water increased now. I think the government should make sure workers in the private sectors are given a basic salary. Also, the government should help all single parents with some assistance.”
Natasha
Natasha said: “Every month I buy groceries with my monthly salary and my earnings cannot do to support my family of six including my three children and a niece. My husband is not working right now. First, I used to spend $25,000 in grocery; now I’m spending $35,000 in groceries because I realised that every time I go shopping in the market, food items have increased. Rice, sugar, oil, milk, cheese, nut butter…When all of my children used to go to school, I used to sell fruits to bring in an extra income in the home. I can’t sell fruits anymore because of the dry season but I opted in selling some vegetables now to bring in an extra income in the home. I have a daughter going to school and the other rewriting mathematics and I have to pay for my daughter to rewrite the mathematics. Although I’m selling the vegetables as a part-time job, I still find the cost of living challenging sometimes because I have utility bills and phone bill to pay. Also, I’m a worker at Civil Defence Commission. All food items have increased in the market, for example, a few months ago, a 10 kg bag of Karibee rice cost $1,200/$1,100; now the same Karibee rice cost $2,200/$2,300 depends on who you buy it from. Also, a few months ago, 50 pounds of flour cost $4,000 and something: now the same bag of flour cost $5,000. Even the transportation cost to travel to Georgetown and back home to buy my groceries is costly. It is very hard for someone to go shopping with the salary people are earning now. I think the government should raise people’s salary in general because not everyone can afford to buy food items now. Some people don’t have any jobs to provide for the home.”
Kevin Wells
Kevin Wells, a 26-year-old fisherman said: “The cost of living is hard on my family and I because the money I receive, I have to use it to buy food items, then I have to pay bills and the cost for all food items increased in the markets. For example, a 1 kg parcel cut of chicken cost about $800 a couple months back in the supermarket; now the same cuts of chicken cost about $1,000. Also, a few months ago, a small pack of Natura milk cost $500: now that same pack of Natura milk cost $1,000. When I go to the market with $20,000, I can’t get a proper week’s groceries. Before I could have gotten a full week’s grocery with the same money. The government should try to look into the rising cost of living and try to help the people.”
Karen Jeffrey
Karen Jeffrey said: “The cost of living is really affecting my family and I a lot since the cost for all food items has increased in the markets. Today when I go to the shop, I will pay $100 for an item and the next day when I go to the shop, I have to pay $200 for the same item. Whatever money I get, I have to make do with it to buy groceries for my family and I. I’m a family of eight. My husband is the sole breadwinner. I seldomly get work, I’m a seamstress and whenever I can contribute to the home, I do. For example, a pack of Natura milk that cost $300 a few months ago; now cost almost $800 for the same pack. A few months ago, a 1 litre bottle of oil cost $300 and something; now the same bottle of oil cost $800. I think the government should look into the cost the shop around here is selling the items for. Also, the government should try to help the people with some sort of money at least every month or week to cope with the cost of living.”
Natasha Rafeek
Natasha Rafeek, a 47-year-old housewife said: “I believe the people who are selling groceries items are the people who are raising the food items. Also, we can’t be upset about the high cost of vegetables because we have dry weather. I’m a family of two including my husband. I try to cope with the cost of living by cutting down on the grocery items I usually buy since the cost for all food items increased in the markets. For example, a few months ago a pound of onions cost $160 a pound; now a pound of onions cost $300. A couple months back a good parcel of bora cost $200; now I’m buying a parcel of 4/5 bora for $300. Even the cost for garlic and boulanger gone up. One time the government visited the Timehri area and shared $25,000 per household and afterward the people haven’t received any other financial help for the high cost of living. The government should help the people in reducing the cost of living since the cost for food items increased but the salary hasn’t increase.”
