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Name: Centre No. / Index No.: / Class:

PIONEER JUNIOR COLLEGE, SINGAPORE

JC2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2018
Higher 1

______________________________________________________________________________

ECONOMICS 8823/01
Paper 1 13 September 2018
3 hours
Additional Materials: Answer Paper
____________________________________________________________________________

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, index number and name on all the work you hand in.
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This document consists of 9 printed pages and 1 blank page.

Pioneer Junior College Ministry of Education

Pioneer Junior College 2018 8823 / 01 / PJC Preliminary Examination / 2018 [Turn over
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BLANK PAGE

Pioneer Junior College 2018 8823 / 01 / PJC Preliminary Examination / 2018 [Turn over
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Answer all questions.

Question 1: Controlling the Price Mechanism

Extract 1: Price mechanism versus government intervention

In his 1776 book An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, economist Adam
Smith made the most famous observation in all of economics: Households and firms interacting in
markets act as it they are guided by an “invisible hand” that leads them to desirable market
outcomes. Prices reflect both the value of a good to a society and the cost to society of making the
good. Because households and firms look at prices when deciding what to buy and sell, they
unknowingly take into account the social benefits and costs of their actions. As a result, prices
guide these individual decision-makers to reach outcomes that, in many cases, maximise the
welfare of society as a whole.

Although the invisible hand usually leads markets to allocate resources efficiently, that is not
always the case. Economists use the term market failure to refer to a situation in which the market
on its own fails to produce an efficient allocation of resources. One possible cause of market failure
is an externality, which is the impact of one person’s actions on the well-being of a bystander. The
invisible hand may also fail to ensure that economic prosperity is distributed equitably. In the
presence of externalities and inequitable distribution of income, government intervention such as
taxes, subsidies and price controls are used to enhance economic efficiency and achieve a more
equitable distribution of income.

[Source: N. Gregory Mankiw, Euston Quah, Peter Wilson, Principles of Economics]

Extract 2: Pay-as-you-go government

As cash-strapped Western countries try to balance their books without raising unpopular taxes,
they are charging higher fees for everyday services. Half the countries in the EU have increased
health-care charges since the financial crisis. In Britain, where a severe fiscal squeeze is under
way, new fees are popping up in unexpected places, from the criminal courts to municipal pest-
control agencies.

Pay-as-you-go government has advantages. Charging for services helps allocate resources
efficiently, deterring overconsumption, just as parking meters stop people hogging spaces. And far
from being uniformly regressive, fees can be fairer than general taxation. Selling water by the litre,
as Ireland controversially began to do in January, means frugal users pay less than those whose
taps gush. Tuition fees reduce the subsidies paid to students by those who never enjoyed the
benefit of university. Some of the biggest consumers of free or subsidised services are the middle
classes, who ought to pay.

[Source: The Economist, 27 August 2015]

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Extract 3: The pill that costs $9,000 in US sells for $70 in India

Last month, generic manufacturer Natco announced that it would be supplying daclatasvir,
a Hepatitis C drug, to 112 developing countries. In 2013, a medicine to treat Hepatitis C,
sofosbuvir, hit international headlines for its price — $1,000 per pill. The sofosbuivir and
daclatasvir combination used for the disease costs almost $150,000 per patient for the 12-week
regimen in the US. But in India, it is priced at just $700 or a little over Rupees 46,500 per patient
for the same regimen. And prices are expected to fall further.

Typically, the price of many expensive patented drugs in European countries like France, Spain or
the UK is half of what these cost in the US. In countries like Brazil or South Africa, these are a third
or a fifth of the US price. The Indian price is often 1/100th. This could be due to India’s patent law
which enhance competition by generic drug manufacturer.

Table 1: Prices of drugs in US and India

Cost per person per month ($) Indian price as

Disease Drug
US India % of US price
Hepatitis C Sofosbuvir + 50,000 233 0.5
Daclatasvir
Lung cancer Erlotinib 6,658 161 2.4

[Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 7 February 2016]

Extract 4: India To Review Drug Price Control To Make It More Lucrative For Pharma
Companies

In a move that could potentially result in higher prices of many essential drugs, the Indian
government is considering a review of its current drug price control policy to encourage private
investments in the sector, Economic Times reported.

According to the ET report that cited a senior government official, Niti Aayog Chief Executive
Officer Amitabh Kant has asked India's health ministry to scrap all regulatory hurdles for pharma
companies. Niti Aayog sees the drug control regime as hindering investments in the sector, it
added.

The policy changing move, which is seeking to dilute the authority of the current drug price setting
authorities, has backing from the Prime Minister's Office, according to the report.

India has had a long history of making its essential drugs affordable for its large population and
has often sidestepped patents on certain major drugs. The country's regulators have been under
increasing pressure from pharmaceutical companies to recognise patents that allow them to
maximise profits.

[Source: Huffpost, 4 October 2016]

Extract 5: Electric cars 'will be cheaper than conventional vehicles by 2022'

Electric cars will be cheaper to own than conventional cars by 2022, according to a new report.
The plummeting cost of batteries is key in leading to the tipping point, which would kickstart a
mass market for electric vehicles, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) analysts predict.

The large-scale roll-out of electric vehicles (EVs) is seen as vital in both cutting the carbon
emissions that drive climate change and in dealing with urban air pollution, which leads to many
premature deaths every year. But, despite subsidies in many countries, EVs remain more

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expensive than conventional cars and the limited range of battery-only cars is still a concern.
Currently, just 1% of new cars sold are electric.

However, the analysis published by BNEF on Thursday predicts that the total cost of ownership –
combining purchase price and running costs – of battery-only cars will dip below those with internal
combustion engines in 2022, even if the conventional cars improve their fuel efficiency by 3.5% a
year. The analysis uses the US government’s projected oil price of $50-$70 (£36-£50) a barrel in
the 2020s. If the price is $20, the tipping point is pushed back by between three and nine years.

[Source: The Guardian, 25 February 2016]

Extract 6: Which countries are speeding ahead with electric cars?

China
The emerging middle class in China represents a significant market for electric vehicles. Sales are
on the up, boosted by a generous incentive programme such as subsidies. Infrastructure
investment also aims to boost electric car ownership. Beijing plans to install more than 400,000
charging points by 2020.

Norway
Norway is often credited with leading the world in the charge towards electric vehicles. Although
not a major auto market, the sales of all electric vehicles are reportedly growing faster than
anywhere else. Very generous incentives, such as exemptions from value-added tax and free
travel on toll roads, have been so successful that last year the Norwegian government was forced
to review them.

[Source: https://www.weforum.org, 7 Apr 2016]

Table 2: Electric car stock in China and Norway (thousands)

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

China 1.91 6.98 16.88 32.22 105.39 312.77
Norway 3.35 5.38 9.89 20.37 44.21 84.18

[Source: International Energy Agency]

Table 3: Market share of electric cars in China and Norway in 2015

Number of electric cars as % of new car in 2015

China 1.2%
Norway 23.4%

[Source: International Energy Agency]

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Questions

(a) What is the main characteristic of a normative economic statement? Identify one example of
such a statement from Extract 2. [2]

(b) (i) Suggest a possible value of price elasticity of demand (PED) for drugs in USA and
explain two factors which bring about this value of PED. [6]

(ii) With reference to Extract 3 and using a demand and supply diagram, explain why the
price of drug in Figure 1 is much higher in USA than India given this value of PED.
[4]

(c) With reference to Extract 4:

(i) Using a demand and supply diagram, explain the effect of price control on the market
for essential drugs in India. [4]

(ii) Discuss the factors that the Indian government should consider when removing the
price control on essential drugs. [8]

(d) (i) With reference to Figure 2, compare the change in sales of electric cars from 2010 to
2015 between China and Norway. [2]

(ii) With reference to Table 3, give a reason for the difference in market share of electric
cars in Norway and China in 2015 despite the differences in the change in sales of car
in d(i). [1]

(iii) Comment on whether the change in sales in electric cars from 2011 and 2015 in
China and Norway is due to price factor. [6]

(e) Using evidence from the case study and/or your own knowledge, assess whether the price
mechanism will always allocate scarce resources in the most efficient manner for all goods
and services in a market economy. [12]

[Total: 45]

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Question 2: The tale of BRICS

Table 4: Rates of growth of GDP, annual percentages, by year

Countries/ Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Brazil 1.9 3.0 0.5 -3.5 -3.4
Russia 3.7 1.8 0.7 -2.8 -0.2
India 5.5 6.4 7.4 8.1 7.1
China 7.9 7.8 7.2 6.9 6.7
South Africa 2.2 2.5 1.8 1.2 0.5

[Source: World Bank]

Table 5: Human Development Index, by year

Countries/ Year 2012 2013 2014 2015

Brazil 0.734 0.747 0.754 0.754
Russia 0.799 0.803 0.805 0.804
India 0.599 0.607 0.615 0.624
China 0.713 0.723 0.734 0.738
South Africa 0.652 0.660 0.665 0.666

[Source: United Nations]

Extract 7: The Mixed Fortunes of BRICS

The story of the BRICS begins with Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill, who wrote a
paper in 2001 arguing that these were the emerging superstars most likely to dominate the 21st
century globalized economy. Taken together, these five countries cover 40 percent of the world’s
population and more than 25 percent of the world’s land.

Roughly speaking, the BRICS can be broken into two groups—those that took advantage of
globalization’s march to integrate themselves into global supply chains (primarily China and India)
and those that took advantage of globalization to sell their abundant natural resources (primarily
Brazil, Russia and South Africa).

For India, instead of focusing on manufacturing, it went the services route instead. Today, services
account for roughly 61 percent of its GDP, with a particular emphasis on IT—at $108 billion, India
is one of the world’s leading IT services exporters. And the rise of India’s middle class resembles
that of China’s; Indians went from 1 percent of the global middle class in 1990 to 8 percent in 2015,
with another 380 million Indians expected to join by 2030.

The picture is decidedly mixed, meanwhile, with the other BRICS countries, who rose mainly on
the back of their vast natural wealth. Brazil sells commodities like soybeans, iron ore, and crude oil
on global markets. South Africa also used its natural wealth—in this case rare gems and metals
like gold, diamonds and platinum—to help get its economy on track following apartheid. In 1990,
the country exported $27 billion worth of goods; by 2011, that number had increased nearly five-
fold. And then there’s Russia, which spent the 1990s rebuilding itself from the rubble of the Soviet
Union. Thankfully, the country is blessed with abundant energy sources—crude oil, natural gas,
metals and minerals—that helped it find its footing. But the fall in commodity prices in 2015 to 2016
has done significant damage in all three countries.

It would be easy to label India and China as the clear winners among the BRICS, but it’s not that
simple. Yes, India and China have the fastest growth rates of any major economies in the world,
and citizens of these countries remain optimistic about the future. But nearly 50 percent of Indians

Pioneer Junior College 2018 8823 / 01 / PJC Preliminary Examination / 2018 [Turn over
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remain vulnerable to a slide back into poverty, and China’s economy has slowed as higher wages
make manufacturing more expensive. Both countries are especially vulnerable to technological
changes that bring automation into the workplace on a larger scale.

[Source: http://time.com, 1 Sept 2017]

Extract 8: Automation threatens jobs

Research has predicted that the proportion of jobs threatened by automation in India is 69%, while
it is 77% in China, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has said, citing data from the multilateral
agency.

While the Narendra Modi government has promised to create millions of jobs to absorb thousands
of youth coming to the workforce, critics say not enough jobs are being created in the economy.
Quick expansion of automation could contribute to a rise in structural unemployment in the labour
market and rising inequality, according to the World Development report.

From a technological standpoint, two-thirds of all jobs are susceptible to automation in the
developing world but effects are moderated by lower wages and slower technology adoption. Kim
called on creating resources for infrastructure to get developing countries to invest in people.
“Countries need to increase their investments in people necessary to build a workforce that can be
competitive in the economy of the future,” said the World Bank president.

[Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 6 Oct 2016]

Extract 9: Brazil's recession worst on record

The economy contracted by 3.6% in 2016, meaning it is now 8% smaller than it was in December
2014. The country has been hard hit by the fall in commodity prices and an internal political crisis
that has undermined investor confidence. The situation has been made worse by the high debt
levels. The two-year slump has seen the number of unemployed rise by 76% to 12.9 million, a rate
of 12.6%.

Brazil was once one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, the 'B' in the BRICS group of
nations regarded by many investors as having the world's best growth potential. Its key exports -
including oil, soy and metals, were in hot demand. But as growth in the biggest element of that
grouping, China, began to slow, so did demand for commodities and their prices.

But there are some signs that this recession may be soon over. Brazil's monthly inflation rates
suggest prices in the economy are stabilizing, and interest rates are falling at a faster pace than
expected. This could fuel consumption and investment and speed up the country's recovery. Also
there could be tailwinds from the global economy, with prices of commodities on the rise again and
possible growth coming from the US. But much of Brazil's recovery still depend on whether
government reforms in public spending are successful.

[Source: BBC.com, 7 March 2017]

Extract 10: The strive for sustainable development in India

With a population rapidly approaching that of China crammed into just one third of the area, India
suffers from resource scarcity on a level unlike any other nation. So while it nominally faces many
of the same challenges as other BRIC nations – water scarcity, dirty energy supplies, human rights
issues – India’s population density makes its situation exponentially more difficult.

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A World Bank study in 2014 found that environmental degradation like air pollution, water pollution,
deforestation and natural disasters cost India $80bn per year, or nearly 6% of its economic activity.
Of that total, 52% is attributable to air pollution. If you thought China’s smog was bad, Delhi’s air
pollution levels can be twice as high, with even less government action to show for it. India’s air
pollution is not only far worse than any of the other BRICs, it is so intense that it is reducing plants’
ability to photosynthesize sunlight, cutting crop yields in half.

While pollution is a broad problem across India, poverty and general lack of access to basic human
needs is more of a first order problem, and one that draws the lion’s share of attention from
government, businesses and people. In 2012, just 36% of India’s population had access to
improved sanitation, leading the nation’s minister of rural development to call India “the world’s
capital for open defecations”.

As a result, much of the sustainable development discussion in India has focused on inclusion and
bringing the population into the 21st century. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the
Clean India Mission, a five-year effort to eliminate open defecation, provide access to improved
sanitation, and clean up the River Ganges, among other targets. Corporations have joined up with
the Clean India Mission, committing to invest in education for girls and adopting communities for
cleanup, among others. During the UN climate talks in Lima, Peru, last fall, Modi announced a
massive solar commitment: 100 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2022, creating as many as 1m jobs
and giving rural Indians access to cheap, clean energy and greater economic opportunity as a
result.

[Source: The Guardian, 4 May 2015]

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Questions

(a) Using Table 4, compare the growth performance of China and India with that of Brazil and
Russia. [2]

(b) With reference to Extract 7,

(i) Extract 7 states that “the fall in commodity prices of recent years has done significant
damage in all three countries.”

Explain how this has impacted the macroeconomic objectives of Brazil, Russia and
South Africa. [4]

(ii) To what extent does the data in Table 4 support the suggestion that the fall in
commodity prices in 2015 to 2016 has done significant damage in Brazil, Russia and
South Africa? Justify your answer. [3]

(iii) Using a diagram, explain how ‘China’s economy has slowed as higher wages make
manufacturing more expensive.’ [4]

(c) (i) Using Extract 8 explain how automation could contribute to a rise in structural
unemployment in the labour market and rising inequality. [5]

(ii) In light of the negative effects brought about by automation, World Bank President Jim
Yong Kim expresses the importance to increase investments in people necessary to
build a workforce that can be competitive in the economy of the future.

Comment on whether such a policy would be effective in reducing the negative effects
brought about by automation. [6]

(d) Extract 9 highlights the factors contributing to Brazil’s recession.

Evaluate the policy options available to the Brazilian government to revive its economy. [9]

(e) “Data on GDP growth rates are no longer relevant in measuring the well-being of its citizens.”
Discuss this view. [12]

[Total: 45]

Pioneer Junior College 2018 8823 / 01 / PJC Preliminary Examination / 2018 [Turn over
 Suggested Answers
2018 PJC H1 Economics Preliminary Examination Paper 1
Question 1: Controlling the Price Mechanism

(a) What is the main characteristic of a normative economic statement? Identify [2]
one example of such a statement from Extract 2.

Suggested answer:

Normative economic statement is one that expresses value or normative judgments

about economic fairness or what the outcome of the economy or goals of public policy
ought to be.

One example in extract 2 is “Some of the biggest consumers of free or subsidised

services are the middle classes, who ought to pay.”
Or
“fees can be fairer than general taxation”

(b) (i) Suggest a possible value of price elasticity of demand (PED) for drugs in [6]
USA and explain two factors which bring about this value of PED.

Suggested answer:

Price elasticity of demand measures the degree of responsiveness of quantity

demanded due to a change in the price of the same good, ceteris paribus.

The demand for drugs tend to be price inelastic. Possible value of price elasticity of
demand for drugs in USA is < 1.

Nature of the good is one factor that affects the price elasticity of demand for drugs.
As drugs is a necessity to cure diseases, the consumers have no choice but need to
consume drugs even when the price rises, hence quantity demanded falls less than
proportionately, making the demand for drugs price inelastic.

Number and closeness of substitutes is another factor that determines the price
elasticity of demand. As there are no or little substitutes for drugs to cure diseases due
to patents by the US government, this makes the demand for drug to be price inelastic.
When the price of the drug rises, consumers cannot switch to the relatively cheaper
substitutes, hence quantity demanded of the drug falls less than proportionately.

(b) (ii) With reference to Extract 3 and using a demand and supply diagram, [4]
explain why the price of drug in Figure 1 is much higher in USA than India
given this value of PED.

Suggested answer:

Explain difference of PED

The demand for drug is USA is price inelastic given that there is no or few substitutes
for the good. This is shown by Dinelastic. For India, the demand for drug tend to be
price elastic as there are other substitutes like the generic drugs. This is shown by
Delastic.

1
 Correctly labelled diagram (accept answers that show 2 diagrams)

Explain difference in supply

Given that the supply of drugs is lower due to the presence of patents in US, supply
curve of US as shown by SS(US) is to the left of supply curve of India SS(India).

Explain combined effect

Hence, with a lower supply and more inelastic demand, price of drugs will be
significantly higher for USA at P(US) compared to P(India).

(c) With reference to Extract 4:

(i) Using a demand and supply diagram, explain the effect of price control on [4]
the market for essential drugs in India.

Suggested answer:

Correctly labelled Diagram

Definition

2
Price control is part of the governments’ price and incomes policy to control prices and
incomes in the country. Government can control the price of good either by setting a
price ceiling (maximum price) or a price floor (minimum price) [1]

Explanation of how price control works and effect of price controls on the
market

The government can control price through a price ceiling, that is, by setting a price
below the market equilibrium price at P1. At this price, quantity supplied is at Q1,
producers do not have the incentive to produce more. The quantity demanded is at
Q2 which is greater than the quantity supplied creating a shortage.

Additional points
The final exchange of the good will be at P1 and Q1.

In the long run, the shortage may create a black market where the consumers resell
the good at a higher price at P2 which is higher than the original equilibrium price and
at quantity Q1.

(ii) Discuss the factors that the Indian government should consider when [8]
removing the price control on essential drugs.

Suggested answer:

Introduction
To remove the price control on essential drugs, the Indian government needs to
consider the issue of equity and the ability to attract investments.

If price control is removed on essential drugs, the price and quantity will revert back to
the original equilibrium level where the prices will be higher.

This will affect the lower income group of consumers where they may not be able to
afford and access to basic essential drugs. As a result, it will affect their health and
non-material SOL may fall. Poorer health may also lower their productivity. This will
have a macro impact on the economy and AS may fall in the long run.

On the other hand, removing price control will attract pharmaceutical firms to increase
their investment in India. As higher prices will give the firms incentives to invest in their
production. Higher profits will also encourage these firms to engage in research and
development of the products making the product to be better and cheaper. This will
benefit the consumers if the firms pass down the cost savings to the consumers as
lower prices (E). Government can also collect higher tax revenues from these profit-
making firms and use the revenue to benefit the citizens through providing more public
and merit goods.

On a macro level, an increase in investment by the pharmaceutical firms will lead to

an increase in AD and this will result in a higher economic growth. These large
investments also create job opportunities for the locals and it will have a knock-on
effect on the economy through the multiplier process. This will benefit the locals and
the other industries like retail, banking services, transportation etc.

(Evaluation) Hence, the Indian government needs to consider the benefit and cost of
price control. In the event that the cost of lower investment outweighs the benefit of
lower price of drugs, it might be better for the Indian government to remove the price

3
 control. Instead, the Indian government can provide more targeted help or subsidies
to the lower income consumers using the tax revenue collected from the
pharmaceutical firms so that they can continue to afford the expensive drugs even
without the price control.

(d) (i) With reference to Figure 2, compare the change in sales of electric cars [2]
from 2010 to 2015 between China and Norway.

Suggested answer:

Both China and Norway are experiencing an increase in the sales of electric cars from
2010 to 2015.

However, the sales of electric cars for China increase at a faster rate compared to
Norway.

(ii) With reference to Figure 3, give a reason for the difference in market share [1]
of electric cars in Norway and China in 2015.

Suggested answer:

Even though the sales of electric cars for China increase at a faster rate compared to
Norway, the sales of non-electric cars for China probably rise even faster resulting in
an overall small market share.
or
Even though the sales of electric cars for China increase at a faster rate compared to
Norway, the number of non-electric cars for China is much higher than Norway which
explains the small market share in China.

(iii) To what extent is the change in sales in electric cars from 2011 and 2015 [6]
in China and Norway due to price factor.

Suggested answer:

From 2011 to 2015, the sales in electric cars are rising. This may be due to price and
non-price factors.

Price factor
Given the high subsidies to the producers of electric cars, the firms are able to produce
more at a given price and hence supply increases and shifts to the right. This will result
in a fall in price. Hence a fall in price will lead to rise in quantity demanded for electric
cars and that explains the rise in the sales of electric cars in China and Norway. [3] or

Non-price factors
However, the rise in the sales of electric cars may be due to non-price factors like
income. With a higher economic growth in China, there will be a rise in income and
hence citizens will have a higher purchasing power to buy luxury goods like electric
car. In addition, “infrastructure investment also aims to boost electric car ownership.
Beijing plans to install more than 400,000 charging points by 2020” shows that the
consumers are changing their taste and preferences and are more willing to buy
electric cars if they find it convenient to recharge their electric cars.

4
 In Norway, as citizens are more educated and are more concerned with environmental
issues, the change in taste and preferences causes them to buy electric cars instead
of non-electric cars and hence a rise in the sales of electric cars.

Given the evidence in the extract, the rise in the sales of electric cars is likely due to a
combination of both price and non-price factors.
(e) Using evidence from the case study and/or your own knowledge, assess [12]
whether the price mechanism will always allocate scarce resources in the most
efficient manner for all goods and services in a market economy.

All societies face the problem of scarcity where there are limited resources (land,
capital, labour and entrepreneurship) available to satisfy unlimited wants.

Price mechanism uses the changes in demand and supply to determine price.
Demand is the amount of good or service that consumers are willing and able to pay
over a given period of time, ceteris paribus. Supply is the amount of good or service
that producers are willing and able to produce over a given period of time, ceteris
paribus.

Price mechanism will allocate resources in the most efficient manner for most goods
and services

Using demand and supply, the price mechanism serves as a signal to society to decide
what to produce, how much to produce and for whom to produce in order to allocate
scarce resources.

Since consumers and producers are rational decision makers, they are driven by their
self-interest. Consumers aims to maximize their own welfare by ensuring that the
marginal cost of paying for the good is equal to the marginal benefit they get from
consuming the good. Producers aim to maximize their profit by ensuring that the
marginal revenue is equal to the marginal cost of producing the last unit of good.
Based on the self-interest of consumers and producers, the price mechanism will
ensure that the quantity demanded of a good will always be equal to the quantity
supplied, hence maximising society welfare which is made up of consumer and
producer surplus leading to efficient allocation of resources.

Referring to the figure above, when there is an increase in the demand for a good such
as smartphones from D0 to D1 , this will cause a shortage of smartphones of Q0Q0’ at
the original price P0. As a result, there will be an upward pressure in price. As
consumers bid up the prices, quantity demanded will fall. As price increases,

5
producers will be willing to increase quantity supplied as they will be able to earn a
higher profit if they increase output for the production of smartphones. This process
will continue on until a new equilibrium price P1 is achieved where quantity demanded
for the smartphones is equal to quantity supplied of smartphones at Q1.

Therefore, price mechanism will allocate scarce resources in the most efficient manner
for most of the goods and services in a market economy.

Price mechanism will not always allocate resources in the most efficient manner in the
presence of market failures

However, this is only true when the goods do not exhibit externalities or the goods are
not public goods which exhibit non-rivalry and non-excludability. For such goods, the
price mechanism will fail to allocate resources efficiently and hence government
intervention may be needed.

In the case material, where pharmaceutical drugs are considered as a merit good that
yields positive externalities, the market may fail to be allocative efficient and
underprovide such goods.

With reference to the figure above, pharmaceutical drugs not only benefit the person
consuming it but also third parties such as their employers who now enjoyed the
external benefits of having a more productive worker. Hence the social marginal
benefits (SMB) is higher than the private marginal benefits (PMB). However, price
mechanism only considers PMB and PMC and hence only Qe of pharmaceutical drugs
will be provided in the market whereas the socially optimal level occurs at Qs where
SMB is equal to SMC (social marginal cost). Hence, there is an under-provision of
pharmaceutical drugs in the market of QeQs leading to welfare loss as shown by the
shaded area and an inefficient allocation of resources in the market.

Thus, government intervention is needed when the market fails to be efficient due to
the presence of positive externalities. This can take the form of subsidies and
regulation. For example, in the market for electric cars, subsidies is used to lower the
cost of producing electric cars hence increasing the supply of electric cars and
lowering the price. This will encourage more consumers to buy electric cars instead of
non-electric cars hence reducing pollution caused by the use of non-electric cars.

Evaluation

In conclusion, price mechanism may not always allocate scarce resources in the most
efficient manner for all goods and services in a market economy due to market failures
caused by presence of externalities. Hence, government intervention is needed to
ensure an efficient allocation of resources.

6
However, government intervention will also lead to inefficient allocation of resources.
Government does not have perfect information and may not know how much to
subsidy. Over-subsidy can lead to over-production of a good resulting in an inefficient
allocation of resources. Government may also have to incur an opportunity cost by
cutting down on spending on other markets (e.g. education) leading to inefficient
allocation in other markets.

Hence, it is important for the government to do a cost-benefit analysis for its

intervention. Government should only intervene when the increase in social benefit
outweighs the social benefit. Thus, whether the price mechanism will always allocate
scarce resources in the most efficient manner for all goods and services in a market
economy depends on the extent of the market failure and whether government can do
a better job in correcting the market failure.

7
Question 2: The tale of BRICS

(a) Using Table 4, compare the growth performance of China and India with [2]
that of Brazil and Russia.
Suggested Answer:

China and India have a positive growth in GDP throughout the entire
period, while Brazil and Russia experienced negative growth from 2015-
2016.China and India also have higher growth rates throughout the entire
period.

(b) With reference to Extract 7,

(i) Extract 7 states that “the fall in commodity prices of recent years has done [4]
significant damage in all three countries.”

Explain how this has impacted the macroeconomic objectives of Brazil,

Russia and South Africa.
Suggested Answer:

Brazil, Russia and South Africa are commodity exporters. As such, when
the prices of commodities fell, the total export revenue will be affected.
Since the demand for commodities is likely to be price inelastic due to the
lack of close substitutes, the fall in price leads to a less than proportionate
increase in quantity demanded. Hence, total export revenue falls. This
leads to a fall in net exports and aggregate demand, ceteris paribus. Real
GDP falls and economic growth suffers.

Furthermore, the fall in output also means that firms’ demand for labour
falls, leading to higher unemployment.

(ii) To what extent does the data in Table 4 support the suggestion that the [3]
fall in commodity prices in 2015 to 2016 has done significant damage in
Brazil, Russia and South Africa? Justify your answer.
Suggested Answer:

The data in Table 4 supports the suggestion that a fall in commodity prices
would have a significant damage on the 3 countries’ economic growth. This
is seen in the data for Brazil and Russia that they are suffering from
negative growth rates in 2015 and 2016 when commodity prices fell. South
Africa also suffered a fall in GDP growth rates from 2015 to 2016 when
commodity prices fell in the same period.

However, the data might not fully support the suggestion as South Africa
was still able to maintain a positive growth rate throughout the entire period
despite the fall in commodity prices, indicating that it might not have
experienced significant damage unlike that of Brazil and Russia.

(iii) Using a diagram, explain how ‘China’s economy has slowed as higher [4]
wages make manufacturing more expensive.’
Suggested Answer:
Higher wages will lead to a rise in cost of production (COP). This leads to
an upwards shift in Aggregate Supply (AS) from AS1 to AS2, leading to a
rise in General Price Level (GPL) from P1 to P2.

8
 However, Table 4 shows that China’s economy is still growing, as such,
this indicates that the Aggregate Demand (AD) must be rising at a faster
rate. Thus, real GDP still increases, but the fall in AS slows down the rate
of growth.

(c) (i) Using Extract 8 explain how automation could contribute to a rise in [5]
structural unemployment in the labour market and rising inequality.
Suggested Answer:

Automation would indicate the greater use of machines in the workplace

and a lower demand for labour, especially low skilled labour. Since
automation is likely to affect labour-intensive industries which tend to
replace the low-skilled labour in the firm, these workers might not have the
ability to find new jobs easily as the economy progresses towards
knowledge based industries where high skilled workers are needed in the
economy. This thus cause a mismatch of skill and thus a rise in structural
unemployment.

As automation replace low skilled workers in the low end manufacturing

industries, supply of low skilled workers would increase thus reducing the
market wage rates for these workers. At the same time, there will be an
increase in demand for high skilled workers to maintain machinery due to
the rise in automation. Thus this would increase the wages for high skilled
workers. As such, automation could lead to a widening of the income gap
between the low skilled and high skilled workers.

(ii) In light of the negative effects brought about by automation, World Bank
President Jim Yong Kim expresses the importance to increase
investments in people necessary to build a workforce that can be
competitive in the economy of the future.
[6]
Comment on whether such a policy would be effective in reducing the
negative effects brought about by automation.
Suggested Answer:

As stated in Extract 8, a rise in automation could bring about negative

effects such as structural unemployment and rising income inequality. As
such, investment in people could be in the form of supply-side policies such
as education and training would help to reduce the effects of structural
unemployment and income inequality.

9
 Investment in people through education and retraining could allow low-
skilled workers to acquire new skills which would enable them to take up
jobs in the sunrise industries, thereby reducing structural unemployment.
As these workers would gain higher skills through education and retraining,
they are also able to bargain for higher wages at their new workplaces.
This reduces the income inequality between the high skilled workers and
low skilled workers in the economy.

However, this policy might not be effective as it takes time to educate and
train workers. Moreover, the success of the policy also depends on the
receptiveness of workers. Less educated or older workers might be less
receptive to education and re-training, which would render such a policy
ineffective in reducing structural unemployment or income inequality.

Conclusion: Overall, whether such a policy is effective would depend on

the receptiveness of the people as well as the government’s ability to
implement it for the low-income and structurally unemployed.

(d) Extract 9 highlights the factors contributing to Brazil’s recession. [9]

Evaluate the policy options available to the Brazilian government to revive

its economy.
Suggested Answer:

Brazil is suffering from recession due to falling export revenue and fall in
Investments. The large government debt is also causing firms to lose
confidence in the government which thereby causes firms to withdraw their
investments in Brazil. In order to revive the economy, the Brazilian
government can adopt expansionary monetary policy together with
austerity measures. This is so that while austerity measures may induce
contractionary effects on the economy to cure the problem of public debt,
the expansionary monetary policy can stimulate growth and revive the
Brazil economy. However, there are several factors that might limit the
effectiveness of these policies.

The Brazilian government can implement austerity measures such as a

rise of taxes and/or a cut in government expenditure to reduce the
government debt. When taxes such as income tax or corporate taxes
increase, government would be able to collect greater tax revenue. With a
cut of government expenditure at the same time, the government debt
would reduce. As stated in extract 9 that the high debt levels worsen
investor’s confidence, such an austerity measure would restore the
confidence that firms would have on Brazil government. Thus, firms are
likely to increase investments in Brazil thus stimulating AD to rise  real
GDP increases  revives the Brazilian economy.

However, there are limitations to the use of austerity measures to reduce

government debt in to restore confidence in the economy. As stated in
extract 9 that as much of Brazil’s recovery depends on the whether the
government’s reforms in public spending are successful, it would infer that
it is difficult for Brazil government to cut its budget as government spending
would have been planned in advance and are often essential spending
such as healthcare and education. To cut government spending, it would

10
 often have to go through parliamentary debates and discussion which may
take a long time to come to a decision. Thus by the time decisions were
made, firms may have lost their confidence with the economy and any
austerity measures would have been useless in restoring confidence back
to the economy.

Furthermore, any cuts to government spending or rise in taxes would have

a contractionary effect on the economy. Given that the economy is already
in recession, the contractionary effect of an austerity measure may further
sink the economy into deeper recession. Thus, there is a need for the
Brazil government to complement the use of austerity measures with the
expansionary MP to prevent such situation from happening.

The Brazilian government can also implement expansionary MP to

stimulate growth in the country. By reducing i/r  COB falls  consumers
are more willing to borrow and less willing to save  increase C on big
ticket items. Firms are more willing to borrow as investments are more
deemed more profitable with the same expected returns  increase in I.
With C and I increasing  AD increases  real GDP increases  revives
the economy.

However, there are limitations to the use of expansionary MP. Pessimism

in firms may cause firms not to respond to lower i/r as they are not
confident in the recovery of the economy. Thus, firms may deem new
investments to be unprofitable and thus I may not increase 
expansionary MP may not be effective in reviving the economy.

Overall, there is some evidence in Extract 9 which suggests that EMP

might be effective in reviving the economy. As i/r are falling by large extent,
C and I might rise as the effect of a large fall in COB outweighs the effect
of pessimism by firms. Furthermore, if the reforms in government spending
are done successfully, it might boost the confidence of firms in the Brazilian
government managing its economy. Thus FDIs might remain in Brazil and
firms might even increase their I due to the confidence of the government.

In conclusion, for recovery of Brazil’s economy to happen, recovery of

global demand for commodities must take place as Brazil is still highly
reliant on X for growth. As expansionary MP only boosts C and I, it might
not be as effective in stimulating recovery as these components of AD
might only hold a small percentage of Brazil’s GDP.

Note:
1. Analysis on LT policies such as SS side policies or trade policies
could also gain credit but are poor application to the context as the
context hints the use of ST policies to achieve recovery.

(e) “Data on GDP growth rates are no longer relevant in measuring the well- [12]
being of its citizens.” Discuss this view.
Suggested answers:
GDP growth rates measure the percentage change in value of final output
produced within the geographical boundary of the country, regardless of
factor ownership before depreciation in a year and after excluding the
effects of inflation. While it is a useful data in assessing the change in

11
material aspect of standard of living, it is limited in assessing the changes
in the non-material aspect. Thus, it is important for countries to
complement the use of GDP growth rate data with other data such as HDI
so as to have a holistic view in assessing the overall well-being of its
citizens.

When GDP growth rates are positive, it implies that a country’s real GDP
has increased. The increase in real GDP means higher production of
goods and services, which means more goods and services are available
for consumption in the country. Furthermore, if the population growth is
slower than real GDP growth, it would mean that real GDP per capita has
increased. With higher real income per person, purchasing power
increases. Each person can purchase more goods and services. Hence,
material SOL will increase, indicating an improvement in the well-being of
citizens.

However, GDP growth rates are limited in measuring the non-material

aspect of SOL. Since positive GDP growth rates imply higher levels of
production, it could mean that air quality could have worsened due to the
increase in emissions arising from production of goods and services. Thus,
while the citizens could enjoy higher purchasing power and greater
quantity of goods and services available, the worsening of air quality could
lead to poorer health and higher healthcare costs. Hence, data on GDP
growth rates are limited in measuring the non-material aspect of SOL for
its citizens. Data on air quality or pollution (e.g. Pollution Standard Index)
should be complemented with the use of data on GDP growth rates. This
is evident in the case of India as even though it achieves outstanding GDP
growth rates as shown in Table 1, it was at the expense of the environment
and quality of life.

Furthermore, GDP growth rates are limited in measuring the material

aspect of SOL of its citizens as the data fails to take into account of factor
incomes earned by residents overseas and non-residents in the domestic
economy. Factor income includes wages, interest, profits and rent earned
in this country by foreign residents and remitted abroad as well as incomes
earned by domestic residents coming from abroad. As FDIs residing in the
economy will remit part of their incomes back to the parent company in
their home country, it would mean that these incomes are not passed down
to the residents of the economy through wages or bonuses. Furthermore,
residents residing abroad would remit incomes back to the home country.
This would mean higher incomes for domestic households, enabling them
to enjoy higher material SOL. As data on factor income is important in
measuring the well-being of the citizens in the country, data on GDP
growth rates is limited in representing the well-being of the citizens.

Due to the limitations of data on GDP growth rates, countries might want
to consider using Human Development Index (HDI) as a better indicator in
measuring the well-being of its citizens. The HDI is a composite statistic of
life expectancy, education and real GNI per capita, which are used to rank
countries into four tiers of human development. Together, it accounts for
both the material and non-material aspects of welfare as thus is a better
representation of the well-being of the citizens in the country. However,
there are limitations of HDI data as it only looks at one indicator for each
aspect of economic, social and demographic aspects which does not
provide a complete representation of well-being of the citizens in a country.

12
Furthermore, as the calculation of HDI requires the use of multiple data
sources to formulate, accuracy of data sources is often questionable and
it often take a very long time for HDI data to be made available.

In conclusion, while data on GDP growth rates has its limitations in

measuring the well-being of its citizens, it is an indicator that is accessible
and easily available. Thus, data on GDP growth rates are only relevant in
measuring the well-being of its citizens when complemented with other
data such as PSI, factor income from abroad, literacy rates and life
expectancy as it would give a more holistic picture on both the material
and non-materials aspect of SOL of its citizens.

13