Arvind Kejriwal says 25 per cent jobs in unauthorised sector lost due to GST, demonetisation

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejirwal said a quarter of all jobs in the unauthorised sector have been lost due to GST and demonetisation, during an interaction with AAP workers on Google Hangouts.

The nationwide tax and the note ban have destroyed small scale workers, and forced the shutdown of factories, the CM said.

“People are really confused with the GST, because it is too complicated. People are asking, should we do our jobs or file returns?” he asked.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejirwal said a quarter of all jobs in the unauthorised sector have been lost due to GST and demonetisation, during an interaction with AAP workers on Google Hangouts.

The nationwide tax and the note ban have destroyed small scale workers, and forced the shutdown of factories, the CM said.

“People are really confused with the GST, because it is too complicated. People are asking, should we do our jobs or file returns?” he asked.

“I personally know people whose factories have been closed down. 25% of employees have lost their jobs.”

Kejriwal appealed to the Narendra Modi government to find a solution as soon as possible.

To fight unemployment, the Delhi government has decided to open 70 skill development centres, he said.

25 of these centres – where candidates who have a high school certificate will come and hone their skills and find employment – will be ready within a year, he said.

Kejriwal also criticised the centre for the hike in metro fares.

“(The) Metro was constructed to help people commute cheaply in the city. It was not made by the government to eke out profit,” he said.

The Delhi CM, who appreciated AAP workers’s protests against the hike, said it would not only affect the poor, but also the middle class.