by Capt. John
Based on a recent trip that I made to neighbouring Nevis, was so amazed to see not two or three, but five first class supermarkets, with aisles and aisles of first class (unblemished) fruit and vegetables; isles of frozen meats and fish; and a huge selection of groceries; foods; beverages, etc. in class with or better than I have seen in Canada or the USA.
Now I will admit that we on Montserrat have had our challenges with Nature, but how long are we to live with this TEMPORARY THING!?, it has been over 17 years since our volcano came to life, and rebuilding on Montserrat is expensive! but I do not think that we as customers have to be held at ransom, paying exorbitant prices, and even more now that the new price structure has come into force!, as a News item on ZJB Radio quoted yesterday 13th. November!
I have been in to three Montserrat supermarkets over the past three days, and noted that all the Fruit and Vegetable produce there was less than third grade, garbage, basically it is stuff that appears to have been rejected by the large chain supermarkets and restaurants, and our supermarkets are buying it very cheap, then turning around and charging top dollar, and because they are the only ones in town, if we want to eat, WE GOT TO BUY IT!! there is NO WHERE ELSE TO GO!, unless we are able to grow some of our own, and hopefully the lose livestock or two legged rats don’t eat it first!
Nevis has the same population as we did prior to the Volcano crisis, but also the prices there are at least 25% less than we pay here. Also, in the Nevis Supermarkets, you do not see them packing shelves in the day time or smell fresh herring as soon as you enter the door. In addition the supermarkets are very well lit, so you can read the labels and easily check for expiry dates, plus they are air conditioned too!
One or more of the Supermarkets here are affiliated to the ones in Nevis, and are the main wholesale distributors to the other supermarkets and small grocery stores here, yet they still are price gouging the customers.
Montserratians, are trying so hard to be resilient, that they have forgotten to notice the things around them that make their life difficult. So much so that they are NOT ever prepared (too scared) to comment or complain about it to the Authorities!
Montserratians please! it is your own good hard earned money that you are spending!! Where is our Price Control Officers and Health and Safety Inspectors?, if any, they should start to crack down on the Price Gouging; Money Hungry; Supermarket Owners.
Notice that Almost ALL the Supermarkets are owned by ‘Foreigners’
We should start a club to import food stuff and toiletries in bulk and distribute them like the Post Office and Reggie used to do prior to the Volcano tragedies. The Supermarkets would get a rude awakening.
Lord Please help our little island..
