In the past weeks, several goods and commodities such as flour, oil, rice and even fuel have seen a massive increase in price. These increases are being attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping delays and now the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. This week the increase in flour prices announced by local producer Namilco has sparked the most controversy as this staple plays a huge part in most meals for Guyanese. Our news team solicited comments from citizens in Georgetown on this new pricing and the majority of interviewees bemoaned this increase.
Citizen 1: "Right now I can’t afford to buy flour, the bread all gone up. I finding it very hard."
Citizen 2: "That all bother me because I does buy me lil tennis roll in the afternoon so that we can make lil dinner with we butter, lil egg I can’t even do that right now. This morning me son gone to school without nothing because I can’t afford it."
Citizen 3: "I shame now I can’t go and shop like before. No sense you say you going and shop when you budget yourself to spend a lil $30,000 you ain’t spending $30,000 you spending more than $30,000."
Citizen 4: "flour was $160 a pound now I think it gone up to $240 and that is real difficult because remember now pay ain’t raise."
They said.
NAMILCO in a statement last week announced that it can no longer sustain its operations at the current price for flour and as a consequence had to increase its prices with immediate effect, to ensure the continued supply of the important commodity.
Following the announcement from the flour producer, the Alliance For Change issued a call to the Government to subsidise the cost of flour in light of the increase.
The government is currently seeking measures to cushion the increased cost of living with a sum of five billion dollars.
