I do agree that the pressure has to be taken off the lower-middle income and the very low-income earners. Based on what is happening, these workers are just working to pay bus fare and buy lunch.

Let's look at someone earning $4,000 per week.

Statutory deductions would be $260 and the average bus fare for five days would be $1,500. Lunch and drink would be an additional $1,500.

Modern-day slavery

Toiletries, clothing and food are not yet factored into the equation. We cannot even look at the expenses for housing. Are we, as a country, perpetuating modern-day slavery?

Statistics show that in the neighbouring United States of America, and in many countries around the world, food prices have gone up by approximately 30 per cent and wheat products by 57 per cent.

The perplexing question is, why have the prices of basic foods gone up by 100 per cent and more in Jamaica? Is it that we have no concern for our people? I do not accept any arguments about the slide in the value of the Jamaican dollar. Percentages do not lie. I have been comparing grocery bills for the years 2007 to 2009 and I cannot believe the percentage increases in grocery items. I ask the Government to do due diligence and investigate the reasons for these excessive increases.

I read a Gleaner article in March 2007 which stated that the farmers were concerned that fertiliser had moved from $1,100 to $1,500 and from $1,300 to $1,800. We know that there was a worldwide shortage of some raw materials, but is there another country in the world that experienced such sharp increases on fertilisers within such a short time span?

The fact that our people do not resort to uncalled for rioting does not mean that we should take them for granted and feed them lies about world crisis and devaluation being the reasons for these increases.

We need explanations

Let's examine items like sardines, mackerel, codfish, chicken feet, chicken necks and back, corned beef, rice, bread, cornmeal, milk etc. - the list could stretch on and on. The average Jamaican is not a high-income earner, so there is no basis for what is happening.

Oil price is down, therefore, increasing transportation cost is no longer an excuse. We need explanations.

Recently, I was in the supermarket and the young woman ahead of me could not stop looking at the bill for the few basic items she picked up. She had to put some back. She only had $2,000.

We are faced with the fact that many of our people used to get certain basic items from Food for the Poor which is experiencing shortfalls at this time. And the Path Programme stipend is just enough to buy flour, cornmeal and sugar.

I am, etc.,

VERNA GORDON BINNS

theashton@cwjamaica.com

Luana, St Elizabeth.