HCI_H2_ECONS_P1

© Hwa Chong Institution 2015 9732 /01/A/C2 Prelim 2015 HWA CHONG INSTITUTION C2 Preliminary Examinations Higher 2 CANDIDATE NAME CT GROUP 14 CENTRE NUMBER INDEX NUMBER ECONOMICS Paper 1 Case Study Questions Additional Materials: Answer Paper 9732/01 28 August 2015 2 hours 15 minutes READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your name, CT group, Centre and Index numbers clearly in the spaces at the top of this page and on every page you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the paper. You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working. Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid and tape. Answer all questions. Begin each question on a fresh sheet of writing paper. At the end of the examinat ion, fasten your answers to Question 1 and Question 2 separately with the two cover pages provided. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. You are advised to spend several minutes reading through the questions before you begin writing your answers. You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers. This document consists of 8 printed pages. [Turn over

© Hwa Chong Institution 2015 9732 /01/A/C2 Prelim 2015 2 Answer all questions Question 1: Singapore Maritime Industry - Future Challenges and Prospects Table 1: Total Cargo Tonnage through Singapore, 2008-2013 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Cargo tonnage* (in million tonnes) 515.4 472.3 503.3 531.2 538.0 560.9 Annual Change in cargo tonnage (%) 6.6 -8.4 6.6 5.5 1.3 4.3 *Note: Cargoes that are carried on shipping vessels are genera lly bulk items such as cars, machineries and furniture, and raw materials such as oil, chemicals, iron, steel and cement. Source: Maritime Port Authority, Singapore Table 2: Growth in World Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2008-2013 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Real GDP growth (%) 3.1 -0.7 4.9 3.7 3.0 2.9 Source: CIA World Factbook Extract 1: The melting ice cap and the Singapore port Last week, news broke that Singapore had gained admission as permanent observer into an exclusive club in the cold north, the Arctic Council. At first glance, it may seem odd for a tiny republic on the equator to be joining a council whose members ring around the North Pole and focus on issues facing their territories, especially on the melting polar ice cap. The Arctic's vast covering of sea ice has rendered it mostly inaccessible to commerce throughout the year. But that looks set to change. With the melting of the Arctic ice cap, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is predicted to have up to 125 days per year suitable for nav igation by 2050. By some estimates, it could be as early as 2030. The new route via the