Commerce WASSCE (SC), 2017

Question 1

 

  1. What is E-commerce?
  2. State four advantages and four disadvantages of privatization.

Observation

Many candidates candidate attempted this question and scored high. Few candidates couldn’t bring in the internet in their definition of e-commerce.

The expected responses are.

1a. E-Commerce - electronic commerce is defined as buying, selling and distribution of
goods and services through electronic media/internet.

  b. Four advantages of privatisation
(i) It saves government the funds usually budgeted as subsidies to such businesses.
(ii) The government gets a lump sum revenue from the privatisation for other essentials
services.
(iii) It helps in the development of private sector businesses because individuals are
encouraged to participate in business.
(iv) It encourages foreign investment as some buyers of privatised enterprises are
foreigners.
(v) It encourages the training of entrepreneurs and the acquisition of skills and technical
know-how.
(vi) It promotes efficiency in the privatised industries because firms aspire to make profit
(vii) It removes government monopolies in business.

Four disadvantages of privatisation
(i) It leads to job losses thereby worsening unemployment.
(ii) The privatisation process is often bedevilled by corruption and lack of transparency
and equity. Uneven distribution of wealth
(iii) It leads to arbitrary increase in the market prices of goods and services of the privatised     
enterprises as against the formerly subsidised prices.
(iv) It makes government in power to be unpopular.
(v) It may confer monopoly power to the new owners.