Look at your grocery bill lately? Did you faint? Gone are those days when 10,000 JMD could buy enough food for a week and still allow for a KFC treat. Prices in the supermarket shoot north every week. And by huge percentages. We can barely afford to step outside, as it seems like we need to pay for the air we breathe. The cost of formula can pay down on a car, yet young people are encouraged to start families. No wonder people say that “Jamaica is not a real place.”
Income tax starts at 25% when the average Jamaican earns 1 to 2 million annually. A big chunk of our money goes to the government. Despite all these taxes, many Jamaicans still lack proper roads and running water. There is no infrastructure development, and hospitals lack equipment.
If middle and upper-class Jamaicans are complaining, what about the families that live on minimum wage? It is unfathomable to us how poor people survive. How can they afford rent and groceries? Where can they find the money for childcare, transportation, and utilities? Clearly, these people must live hand-to-mouth.
Everyone is complaining about the high cost of living, yet we are getting no reprieve from our leaders. It seems the government is sticking its fingers in its ears and looking the other way. Do we blame the government or the people who elect them? Unfortunately, we may have to endure this unbearable situation until the next election. But who is to say we will get anything other than more promises?
The question remains: will the system ever get better? Will anyone truly advocate for the poor? What will the cost of living look like in another ten years? What can we do other than wait and see?