Question

Question 1 Excise tax rates on tobacco and tobacco products increase in March and September based on average weekly ordinary time earnings. Perform a web-search to determine the amount of excise tax charged (as at 1 January 2018) on a standard 20 packet of cigarettes. If the standard packet is sold for a price of $30, how much is the before tax price? Illustrate using the demand and supply model, the effects of a tax imposed on sellers of tobacco products. Explain in detail who pays the tax (buyers and/or sellers) and discuss the role the price elasticity of demand plays in determining the impact on prices and quantity of tobacco products sold. Be explicit about any assumptions made in developing predictions.

Question 2 a) Assume a perfectly competitive firm’s total cost (TC) for different levels of output Q is given by:

Q TC

0 50

1 100

2 140

3 170

4 190

5 210

6 230

7 260

8 300

9 350

10 410

In a table format for the range of output (Q) provided determine: average total costs, average fixed costs, average variable costs and marginal costs. At a price of $35 how many units will be produced in the short run? At this price how many units will be produced in the long run?

b) Explain the differences between a monopolistically competitive market and an oligopolistic market? Give examples of industries with these market structures to explain your answer.

Question 3

Some State Governments around Australia have pursued policies to merge Local Government Councils. Explain the economic rationale for these policies, use cost curves and related evidence to support your arguments.

Answer 1

a)

Fixed cost is the cost at zero level of output. It remains fixed at each level of output.

Variable cost = TC - FC

AFC = TFC/Q

AVC = TVC/Q

MC = Change in TC/change in Q

MR = Change in TR/Change in Q

Equilibrium quantity is 7 units.

b)

Monopolistic competition refers to a market situation in which there are large number of buyers and sellers. The sellers sell closely related or differentiated products but not identical product. The products are close substitutes of each other. Product differentiation is the most important feature of monopolistic competition. Each firm under monopolistic competition enjoys the monopoly over the brand of the commodity and thus the firm has the control over the price of the commodity. Under monopolistic competition, MR < AR and AR and MR curve slope downwards and MR curve lies below AR curve. But these curves are more elastic. Example: Firms producing different brands of shampoos like Sunsilk, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Dove etc. Monopolistic competition combines the features of monopoly and perfect competition.

Oligopoly is a market structure characterized by the presence of a few large firms who produces homogeneous or differentiated products intensely competing against each other and recognizing interdependence in their decision-making. Under this type of market, prices are normally rigid as firms are afraid of immediate reactions of the rival firms which may start price war. The demand curve facing an oligopoly firm is indeterminate because of high degree of interdependence and uncertainty among oligopolistic firms. The firm does not know how his rival firms react to its decisions. Sales and profits of the firms are affected by the rivals' firm's actions. Example: there are only a few auto-producers in the Indian market. Maruti, Tata, Ford, Fiat are some well-known brand names.