Remittances don't cover the needs of Guyanese
Consumer Concerns
By Eileen Cox
Stabroek News
November 24, 2002
The subject of remittances to Guyana from migrants in the United States still comes up as a conversation item. There is a perception that however large the remittances may be they are still inadequate to ensure that Guyanese on the whole enjoy a decent standard of living.
How are the remittances used? Many parents depend on remittances for their children's schooling. Remittances help to purchase the school uniform, the shoes and other items of clothing. They are used for transportation of children to school. We must never forget that even though it is obvious that the meagre salaries of public servants cannot cover rent and foodstuff, there has been no income tax allowance granted for children and wives.
Sums of money received by some consumers are used to purchase a good meal. An ailing consumer with an invalid wife who received a bill from Guyana Water Inc for more than $44,000 had no option but to appeal to relatives living abroad to send some cash. Remittances are used to clear off debts, to pay mortgages, insurances, etc. You receive the remittance today and within a week you are in debt again.
Guyana is suffering from high inflation. We are witnessing escalation in prices daily. The exchange rate is now $G190 to the US$1. The price of flour was increased with bread moving from $140 a loaf to $165 in the supermarkets. Cooking gas has now moved from $1400 to $1700 for a 20-lb cylinder. The charges for electricity have risen.
Take a walk into Guyana Stores Universal Department and you will be shocked at the prices for dress material. Bolts and bolts of cloth are selling at more than $2,500 per metre.
Because there is no unemployment benefit, Guyanese consumers are perforce obliged to help relatives who are not well placed financially. There are craftsmen who have not been employed for months. There are elderly persons in need of expensive medication. There are numerous persons injured in mini-bus accidents and unable to receive compensation.
Consumers in Guyana are living without hope of seeing a turn for a higher standard of living. The lucky consumers who own their own homes, find that incomes are too low to keep their homes in good condition. When repairs are completed, there is no money for paint or paint is available only for the exterior walls and not for the interior. It is a sad state of affairs.
There is no hope that a new day will dawn. Decisions are taken and then when implementation is to take place, there is a change of mind. The metric system was to replace the imperial measure on 1st January, 2002 but the Omnibus Act that will complete the changeover is not taken to the National Assembly.
It is very sad. Retired public servants who held senior positions in the government, receive pensions of $10,450 per month. This does not cover the rental of an apartment. Widows and widowers whose spouses contributed to the Dependants Pension Fund receive pension that start from $20 per month and never reach $10,000. For ten years the Guyana Consumers Association has been seeking to have a review of the scheme. There is no response.
Without the remittances from the United States, consumers would be in dire poverty. We need an Uncle Sam who will give credit for the many trained nurses and teachers who flock his land in an effort to escape poverty. Most of all, we need reform now.
