DSE Econ 時事 第15週（2026年）

Explain how rising jet fuel prices impact the supply curve for airline services and how this affects the equilibrium price and quantity of flights in the market.

Discuss how the price mechanism, through increased fuel surcharges and airfares, helps allocate scarce flight capacity in response to a significant increase in operating costs.

Analyze why airlines, in pursuit of profit maximization, would choose to cut flight frequencies and raise fuel surcharges when faced with a substantial increase in their major input costs.

Identify jet fuel as a factor of production for airlines and explain how a significant increase in its price affects the firm's cost structure and production decisions.

Explain the impact of a per-unit subsidy on the market equilibrium of diesel, including changes in price, quantity, and producer/consumer surplus, illustrating with a diagram.

Analyze the potential consequences of imposing a price ceiling on diesel in Hong Kong, considering its impact on resource allocation and market efficiency.

Discuss how the market structure of the oil industry in Hong Kong might influence the effectiveness of the government's diesel subsidy in benefiting the target transport sector.

With reference to the concept of price elasticity, explain how the incidence of the HK$3 per litre diesel subsidy would be shared between oil companies (producers) and transport operators (consumers).

Students could be asked to use supply and demand diagrams to illustrate the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure on the international oil market and subsequently on the local petrol and diesel markets in Hong Kong.

Analyze, using a supply and demand diagram, the effect of the government's per-unit diesel subsidy on the market for commercial transport services, discussing its impact on equilibrium price, quantity, and producer/consumer surplus.

Discuss the various strategies that firms operating in competitive markets, as highlighted in the article (e.g., bus companies, laundry services), might employ to achieve profit maximization or loss minimization when faced with a significant and sustained increase in their input costs.

Examine the market structure of the local petrol retail market in Hong Kong, using information from the article, and discuss how the actions of the dominant firms might affect price stability and consumer welfare during a period of rising global oil prices.

Explain the economic effects of the diesel subsidy on the market for commercial transport services, including its impact on price, quantity, consumer surplus, producer surplus, and government expenditure.

Using supply and demand diagrams, analyze how an increase in fuel prices affects the market for commercial transport services and subsequently, how the government's proposed relief measures attempt to mitigate these effects.

Discuss how the market price of fuel functions as a signal to both producers and consumers in the transport sector, and critically evaluate whether the government's intervention (subsidies) distorts or improves this signaling function.

Evaluate the extent to which the government's relief measures address equity concerns within the Hong Kong transport sector, considering both the beneficiaries and those excluded (e.g., private vehicle owners).

Compare the implications of different approaches to utilizing 'labour' as a factor of production (e.g., guest workers versus settled human capital) on the long-term economic resilience and sustainability of regions, referring to the Gulf states and the Greater Bay Area.

Discuss how differing levels and types of labour mobility (e.g., temporary versus permanent migration) can affect the economic stability and growth prospects of a region, drawing insights from the article's comparison of the Gulf states and the Greater Bay Area.

Explain how the fundamental economic problem of scarcity, specifically of natural resources like water, can pose a critical long-term challenge to economically prosperous regions that rely heavily on them for sustained growth.

Analyze how negative externalities, such as those arising from geopolitical instability and conflict, can significantly impact the economic development and resilience of a region, using examples from the Gulf states.

Using the concept of scarcity and opportunity cost, explain why Hong Kong's policy decisions regarding land use (e.g., for traditional retail versus cultural infrastructure) are crucial for its economic future.

Analyze how Hong Kong's efforts to nurture its creative class and cultural infrastructure, as discussed in the article, represent investments in specific factors of production and how these investments can contribute to economic growth.

With reference to the article, explain how the development of a strong cultural infrastructure and community placemaking in Hong Kong can create positive externalities for the city's economy and society. Discuss how market failure might arise in the provision of such goods.

Analyse the potential impact of widespread AI adoption on the demand for labour in various sectors of Hong Kong's economy. Consider the implications for different skill levels.

Examine how AI integration enhances labour productivity within Hong Kong firms. Discuss the trade-offs between increased productivity and potential job displacement, using relevant economic concepts.

With reference to the article, discuss how the adoption of AI influences firms' decisions regarding the combination of labour and capital as factors of production. Evaluate the economic rationale behind this shift.

Analyze the factors that led to the decrease in demand for Hong Kong restaurant services during the Easter break and explain its likely impact on the equilibrium price and quantity in the short run.

Discuss how the concept of price elasticity of demand or income elasticity of demand (related to cross-border travel) can help explain the observed revenue changes for Hong Kong restaurants.

Explain how the reported decline in restaurant revenue affects firms' goal of profit maximization and what short-term strategies they might consider to mitigate losses.