In the wake of reports that stores have begun limiting the sale of certain products to cut down on panic shopping, former Finance Minister Winston Jordan has urged Guyanese to stop panic shopping as this very act is driving shortages in the various supermarkets.
Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan
In an interview with this publication on Saturday, Jordan noted that there is no justification for persons going out and buying certain products en masse since this will hinder other persons from being able to buy the same products.
“My message to anybody is not to panic buy. Because in essence, panic buying also creates the shortage. In which case then, severe restrictions would have to be put in place so people should just go about their business normally, buying foodstuff.”
“I could understand panic buying things like bleach and sanitiser. But food and so forth, the markets aren’t going to shut down. We didn’t say shut down the supermarkets. Those are going to be open. They might restrict the number of people who can go in [at a time]. But people should go about their business lawfully and it will work out.”
After Guyana got its first four cases of coronavirus, the Government had ordered the closure of the airports to all but outgoing and cargo planes, as well as those with special authorisation, for two weeks. Jordan admitted that imports have been affected to an extent, but that it is not an indefinite situation.
“In many places, the ports have shut. But the ports have not been shut indefinitely. People are more careful. The commerce has slowed considerably throughout the world. So, you may not get your supplies in the amounts you requested. And you may not get it in time. It may take some time,” he said.
“So even with panic buying, when it’s finished and there is no replacement, what will you do? Buy what you need. And in some cases what you can’t get, you may have to switch to something else.”
Jordan also noted that unlike some countries, Guyana can self-produce much of its food. The Minister went on to urge persons not to panic and to be as self-sufficient as possible until the situation returns to normal.
“Guyana is better off than a number of places. We have our markets; we grow a lot of our own food. And in many cases, we rear our chickens and pork and so forth. So, we don’t necessarily depend on all those imports.”
COVID-19
Presently, Guyana has recorded five cases of the COVID-19 virus. Ever since the announcement of the first case, Guyanese flocked the supermarkets and stores to stock up on food supplies, especially flour and canned goods. Items such as toilet paper and disinfectants were also flying off the shelves.
The craze to stock up led to National Milling Company of Guyana Incorporated (NAMILCO) advising its customers to end their panic buying of flour, which has been prevalent among many households during the COVID-19 threats.
In a notice to the public, NAMILCO had indicated that the hoarding of flour is not endorsed at this time. With the normal buying pattern, there would be a constant supply of Thunderbolt and Maid Marian products.
“Namilco is advising all customers and consumers that there should be no panic buying or hoarding of flour. We guarantee you that we have adequate quantities of all NAMILCO Thunderbolt and Maid Marian products, providing your normal pattern of buying is maintained. We also have adequate quantities of all raw materials necessary to maintain production,” the company had stated.
According to the World Health Organisation, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
Local health authorities have advised that if anyone is experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, they should contact the hotline on 231-1166, 624-3067, 624-2819 or 624-6674 and a team would be sent to their location.
