By Stabroek News Subhana Shiwmangal
Interviews and photos by Subhana Shiwmangal
Stabroek News spoke to members of the public in Lovely Lass and Cottage villages in Region Five about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting them. The following are their comments:
Leila Chichester, a pensioner of Cottage village said: 鈥淭he cost of living is affecting me because I鈥檓 old and I pressuring them. I get my pension and I buy what I want but then, I run out during the month and ask my daughter for money. When I have to buy my medication and go at the pharmacy, I鈥檓 spending like $20,000 which is expensive for me. I suffer from diabetes and arthritis. Well, I鈥檓 living with a son here and when I go to buy chicken at the shop, or town some days the cost goes up. Then, I have to buy the greens and other items and the cost for everything gone up. I have to buy drinking water and the cost for the 5-gallon bottle Tropical Mist gone up. A couple months back, the water cost $600/$700; now I鈥檓 paying $900 for the water at the gas station here. Also, a couple months back, 10 lb chicken cost $4,000 and something at the Chinese Supermarket; now, the chicken cost $5,000 and something. Even the cost for cooking gas gone up. Well, I heard the Minister of Legal affairs and Attorney General saying that the gas and electricity price will go down with the government鈥檚 gas-to-energy project. I鈥檓 looking forward for that. I think the government should raise people鈥檚 pension also. My daughter pays $6,000 a month for the internet. NexLink, a private Service provider, provides me with internet. Sometimes it works well while sometimes it doesn鈥檛.鈥