How the cost of living is
Neisha Motilall
Neisha Motilall said: “Sometimes prices for items goes up and then drop in the market because I noticed that every time I shop at the market the prices for items are different. I’m a family of six and I would buy items to sell back in the shop to feed my family and because the prices for items in the market fluctuates, sometimes I don’t make much sales. That time people don’t buy because it is expensive for them and they can’t afford to pay the price for an item when the price is high. What I would try to do though, is to help the customer to buy the items by just putting on $40 on the items so they can afford it. The other thing, when I do that I’m not making a profit, it affects my capital but I try to cope with it. Then there is spoilage and so I have to cater for. The prices for everything gone up in the market, for instance, the cost for a pound of plantain now is $240, a few months ago the cost per pound was $180. Then there is oil, a 1 litre bottle of oil cost $800 now, before the price for the same bottle of oil was $660. I don’t blame the government because the government is doing a good job. The government usually visits the Kuru Kuru area and we were able to share our opinions. The government is doing the road in here and has contributed a lot to my community, even helping the pensioners and many other things for us here in the community. So I won’t blame them for the rising cost of living. We just have to cope with the cost of living for now.”
Nickiera Parris
Nickiera Parris said: “Everything gone up in the market and this is really tough on me. The price for plantains right now is expensive. Right now a pound of plantain is $240, before a pound of plantain cost $100 and something. When I buy something from the market this week, the next week when I go back to the market, the items get more expensive. Look at how the small bag of
Karibee rice is sold for now. Right now a small bag of Karibee rice cost $1,800 and $2,000 some places, before it was sold for $1,300. These prices are really tough on me when buying items for my family. Well, so far the government is doing perfect. However, the government should work something out to reduce the prices that food items are sold for in the market. Even baby items expensive too. Things for the baby should be sold reasonable in the market. Right now $20,000 as grocery money is nothing to feed my family. The government should try to carry down the prices for baby items too.”
Carol Patterson, a 55-year-old bakery assistant said: “When people go in Georgetown to buy greens, the vendors add on more money on the items and we have to buy the items for that cost. Imagine some greens pass through Kuru Kuru to go in Georgetown to sell and the greens price is still expensive. Since the pandemic, the transportation cost from town to Kuru Kuru and vice versa raised to $400 and it stayed that way; it’s not dropping back. Before, I know I used to pay about $300 to travel to Georgetown from Kuru Kuru. Even butter expensive. Butter has been rising gradually in the market. I know before a pound of Golden Cream butter was $420, now the same butter cost about $600 a pound; Sterling products has risen a lot now. It started to rise gradually then just like that the prices for these products gone up sky high. Even things like plantains are sold expensive now. Two pounds of plantains now cost about $500, before a pound of plantain was $120. I stop use plantain now because that price is too expensive for me to purchase. The government need to subsidize on food so it can be affordable for the entire country. Also, the government need to place control prices on food items because if people’s salaries continue to raise, the vendors will continue to raise the prices that they are selling their items for in the market.”
Gavin Melvin
Gavin Melvin, a 64-year-old general contractor said: “The cost of living is really hard for me and my family because things have gone up in the market a lot. You know I didn’t receive my $25,000 that the government was sharing per household here in Kuru Kuru. I really would like the government to look into this for me. I can’t feed my family, much less myself because the rice, flour, sugar, everything expensive in the market. The 8% that the government put on the people’s salary that can’t help us because the vendors are putting on that amount on their items in the market. I have one child going to school and I have to find about $8,000 for her when she’s going to school and I can’t afford it. I have to try any work I get to provide for my family at my age. I have big children. yes, but they can’t even help their family because the cost of living is high, they have to support their family. I can’t blame them. I would do farming to make ends meet, but still that money cannot do to provide for my family. A long boots for me is expensive now. The price per long boots now is $4,000. Before I could have gotten the long boots for $1900. Even shorts for me to wear is expensive. Before I could have bought 3 shorts for $1000, now I’m paying $1200 for one shorts. I would really like if the government could provide me with a proper job and to assist me to get tools to do woodworking.”
Emmanuel Simpson
Emmanuel Simpson, a 39-year-old mason said: “I think the government should stop borrowing loan to build roads because our budget is already high. The government instead should focus more on the rising cost of living of the people. I know the cost of living is high throughout the world, but they should at least try to look into the prices the vendors are selling the items for in the marketplace. I work for a nice salary as a mason but still that can’t do to provide for my family because things are really high in the market. I have to stand the cost for my child to go to school and transportation cost from Yarrowkabra – you know transportation cost on the highway is not cheap. What I noticed is that on the highway there is not enough jobs for the p should look into this for t in the market is expensiv chicken cost about $540 per pound of chicken wa up in the market, even r Karibee rice now is sold a few months ago the sugar expensive. The g into these high prices foo market.”
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