Statement — The railway authority has decided to increase freight charges by 10% because there is a possibility of incurring losses in the current financial year. Assumptions — I. The freight volume during the remaining period will not fall drastically (it may remain broadly stable). II. The additional revenue from the 10% increase can offset part or all of the estimated deficit.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: if both Assumption I and II are implicit

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
A price rise to counter projected losses presupposes that the increase will generate enough extra revenue and that volumes will not collapse so much as to negate the gain. These are classic revenue-management assumptions.



Given Data / Assumptions:


  • Decision: +10% freight charge.
  • Goal: reduce/avoid loss this year.
  • I: volumes remain broadly stable (or at least not severely reduced).
  • II: extra collections will offset the deficit materially.


Concept / Approach:
Revenue ≈ Price * Quantity. To raise revenue via price, either quantity must be inelastic or any drop must be modest. Further, the expected additional revenue must connect to the loss figure to justify the policy rationale.



Step-by-Step Solution:


1) The authority chooses price as the lever to manage deficit risk.2) This presupposes that quantity will not decline sharply (I).3) It also presupposes that incremental revenue meaningfully offsets the anticipated loss (II).4) Hence both I and II are implicit.


Verification / Alternative check:
If volumes plunged, revenue might fall despite higher prices; the policy would not serve its stated purpose, contradicting the decision logic.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:


Only I or only II: incomplete; both price-elasticity and offset linkage matter.Either: insufficient.Neither: contradicts the stated rationale.


Common Pitfalls:
Assuming perfect inelasticity; the assumption is not “no change” but “no drastic fall” sufficient to defeat revenue goals.



Final Answer:
Both Assumption I and II are implicit.

More Questions from Statement and Assumption

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