THE crippling dilemma of rising food prices has become and international phenomenon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, explained the rising food prices in the Region as being due to bio-fuels produced from food crops, such as, corn, and sugar cane, because there is a mad haste in the world to use corn to feed vehicles rather than feeding poor people… Guyana has certainly not been spared from the brunt of high food prices. One of the areas that has been affected is the high price of flour.

In light of this, I am grateful for the Government’s intervention to remove the licence to buy flour which will induce competition in Guyana’s market and thus enabling the price of flour to decrease, and which will make food items affordable.

This move by Minister Manniram Prashad and the PPP/C Government can be considered a humanitarian effort to assist Guyanese who are dealing with the issue of high food prices. In the past the government has attempted to reduce the burden of the rising food prices by zero-rating basic food items, such as, milk, peas, rice etc.
KIMBERLY JAMES