PAST PAPERS

Monday, December 3, 2018

NBAA PAST PAPERS (B1 – Financial Management MAY 2017 ) The National Board of Accountants and Auditors,


B1 – Financial Management
MAY 2017
NBAA PAST PAPERS
The National Board of Accountants and Auditors,
EXAM- TUESDAY, 2ND MAY 2017

EXAMINATION                  :           INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

SUBJECT                              :           FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

CODE                                    :           B1

EXAMINATION DATE      :           TUESDAY, 2ND MAY 2017

TIME ALLOWED               :           THREE HOURS (2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.)

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1.                  There are TWO Sections in this paper.  Sections A and B which comprise a total
of SIX questions.

2.         Answer question ONE in section A.

3.         Answer any FOUR questions in Section B.

4.         In total answer FIVE questions.

5.         Marks are shown at the end of each question.

6.         Calculate your answers to the nearest two decimal points.   

7.         Show clearly all your workings in respective answers where applicable.

8.         This question paper comprises 7 printed pages.





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SECTION A
Compulsory Question
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QUESTION 1

(a)               A company should invest in all projects with a positive net present value in order to maximize shareholders’ wealth.  In some cases, a company may have various attractive opportunities and yet not be able to undertake them. 

REQUIRED:

Discuss this in the context of investment finance.                                    (6 marks)

(b)                  In the annual Board of Directors’ meeting of the Shengena International Hotels, it was decided that the hotel expand it facilities by providing a gym and spa for the use of guests.  The hotel’s Managing Director noted that the move would result in an increase in the occupancy rate of the hotel and the rates that can be charged for each room.

The cost of refurbishing the space, which is currently used as a library for guests, and installing the gym and spa is estimated to be TZS.100,000,000.  The cost of the equipment is expected to be TZS.50,000,000.  The gym and spa will need to be refurbished and the equipment replaced every four years.  The equipment will be sold for TZS.15,000,000 cash at the end of year 4.  This amount includes the effect of inflation.

The hotel’s financial consultants have produced a feasibility report at a cost of TZS.10,000,000.  The key finding from their report, regarding occupancy rates and room rates are as follows:

·         Current occupancy rate:  80%

·         Number of rooms available: 40

·         Current average room rate per night:  TZS.250,000

Occupancy rates, following the opening of the gym and spa, are expected to rise to 82% and the average room rate by 5%, excluding the effect of inflation.

The hotel is open for 360 days per year.

Other relevant information is as listed below:

1.      The gym will require four (4) full time employees each with an average salary of TZS.30,000,000 per annum.

2.      The current budgeted overhead absorption rate for the hotel is TZS.80,000 per square metre per annum.  The area required for the gym and spa is 400 square metres. The hotel’s overheads are expected to increase by TZS.42,000,000 directly as a result of opening the gym and spa.

3.      Inflation is expected to be at a rate of 4% per annum and will apply to sales revenue, overhead costs and staff costs. The rate of 4% will apply from Year 2 to each of the subsequent years of the project.

4.      The hotel’s financial consultants have provided the following taxation information:

·         Tax depreciation is allowable on all costs of refurbishing, installation and equipment at 25% reducing balance per annum.

·         Taxation rate is 30% of taxable profits.  Half of the tax is payable in the year in which it arises and the balance is paid the following year.

·         Any losses resulting from this investment can be offset against taxable profits made by the company’s other business activities.

The company uses a post-tax money cost of capital of 12% per annum to evaluate projects of this type.

REQUIRED:

(i)            Calculate the Net Present Value (NPV) of the gym and spa project. 
(8 marks)

(ii)         Using linear interpolation estimate the post-tax money cost of capital at which the hotel would be indifferent to accepting or rejecting the project.
(6 marks)
                                                                                                       (Total: 20 marks)


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SECTION B
There are FIVE questions.  Answer ANY FOUR questions
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QUESTION 2

(a)               According to portfolio theory, a market estimates of investors reactions to risk cannot be measured precisely, so it is impossible to set risk adjusted discount rates for various classes of investment with a high degree of precision.

REQUIRED:

Discuss this statement.                                                                              (6 marks)            

(b)               Jangala and Joseph are two famous security analysts at the local stock market.  Recently the local stock exchange has experienced market changes due to different economical and political factors which have affected the price and return of the security traded in the market.  As a result of the market changes, the two analysts have selected different stocks with each claiming that the stock selected is highly performing than the other.  The expected return on the two stocks for two particular market returns are provided in the table below:


Jangala  Selected Stock
Joseph Selected Stock
Return
19%
16%
Beta
1.5
1.0

REQUIRED:

(i)                 Can you tell which investor had a better performing stock aside from the issue of general movements in the market? Explain.                       (4 marks)

(ii)              If the government bond rate were 6% and the market return during the period were 14% which investor would have a superior stock selection?                                                                                                                   (5 marks)

(c)               Assume that there are N Securities in the market.  The expected return of every security is 10% and all securities have the same variance of 0.0144.  the covariance between any pair of the securities is 0.0064.

REQUIRED:

(i)                 Compute the expected return of an equally weighted portfolio.      (3 marks)

(ii)              Explain what will happen to the variance as N gets larger, and outline the main determinant(s) of the risk of a well-diversified portfolio.       (2 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION 3

(a)               Indicate whether the following events might cause the price of equities (stocks) in general to change and whether they might cause a bank’s share price to change.

(i)                 The government announces that inflation unexpectedly jumped by 2 per cent last month.

(ii)              The bank’s earnings report, just released, generally fell in line with analysts’ expectations.

(iii)            The government reports that economic growth last year was at 3 per cent, which generally agreed with most economists’ forecasts.

(iv)             The Parliament approves changes to the tax laws that will increase the top marginal corporate tax rate.  The legislation had been debated for the previous six months.
(6 marks)


(b)               Amazon Company Ltd. and Zodiac Company Ltd, are in the same risk class.  Shareholders expect Amazon to pay a TZS.400 per share dividend next year when the stock will sell for TZS.2,000 per share.  Zodiac Co. has a no-dividends policy.  Currently, Zodiac stock is selling for TZS.2,000 per share.  Zodiac shareholders expect a TZS.400 capital gain over the next year.  Capital gains are not taxed, but dividends are taxed at 25 percent.

REQUIRED:

(i)                 What is the current price of Amazon stock?                                (4 marks)

(ii)              If capital gains are also taxed at 25 percent, what is the price of Amazon stock?                                                                                                   (3 marks)

(iii)            Explain the result you found in part (b) (ii) above.                          (2 marks)

(c)               The net income of GGM Corporation, which has 10,000 outstanding shares and a 100% dividend payout policy, is TZS.32,000.  The expected value of the firm one year hence is TZS.1,545,600.  The appropriate discount rate for Magita is 12 percent.

REQUIRED:

(i)                 What is the current value of the firm?                                              (2 marks)

(ii)              What is the ex-dividend price of Magita’s stock if the board follows its current policy?                                                                            (3 marks)                                                                                          (Total: 20 marks) 

QUESTION 4

(a)               KOBELO Company owns an equipment that is already 5 years old and the remaining useful life is estimated at not more than three years.  It is now 31st December 2016 and the equipment can be sold now at its residual value.  The following are the net cash flows and residual value estimates for the equipment over the next three years:

End of Year
Net Cash Flow
(Millions of TZS)
Residual Value
(Millions of TZS)
2016
-
14
2017
10
8
2018
2
1
2019
1
0

The cost of capital for the firm is 10%. 

A decision is to be made whether to abandon the equipment at the end of year 2017, 2018 or 2019.

REQUIRED:

Evaluate and comment on the appropriate timing of abandoning the equipment.
                                                                                               (6 marks)

(b)               Discuss the difference between a nominal (money terms) approach and a real terms approach to calculating net present value.                                (6 marks)

(c)               Discuss any four factors to be considered in formulating a trade receivables policy.                                                                                                                  (8 marks)                                                                                                       (Total :20 marks)

QUESTION 5

(a)          “Retained earnings are the cheapest source of funds.  Actually they do not have opportunity cost”. 

REQUIRED:

Discuss the statement by responding to the following:

(i)                 Is retained earnings free of opportunity costs?                                   (2 marks)

(ii)              How does the cost of retained earnings compare with that of issuing new equity?                                                                                          (2 marks)

(iii)            Why do firm raise external funds rather than rely only on retained earnings?
          (4 marks)

(b)          Since the concept of Limited Liability Company was conceived, firms have been distributing fractions of their earnings as dividend.  Of recent however, corporations are increasingly changing their payout policy, and incorporate stock repurchase programs as a means of distributing corporate cash flows

REQUIRED:

Explain the concept of share repurchase and briefly explain its advantages and disadvantages.                                                                                             (6 marks)

(c)               Extracts of the financing part of the Statement of Financial Position of Keona Ltd is as follows:

TZS
Common stock (50,000 shares at TZS.3 par)             150,000
Paid-in capital in excess of par                                   250,000
Retained earnings                                                        450,000
Total stockholders’ equity                                        850,000

Keona Ltd is considering to issue an additional 5,000 shares of common stocks as part of its stock dividend plan.  The current market price of Keona Ltd’s common stock is TZS.20 per share.

REQUIRED:

Show how the proposed stock dividend would affect Keona’s stockholder’s equity.                                                                                                                     (6 marks)
                            (Total : 20 marks)

QUESTION 6

(a)          Explain the concept of overtrading, its causes and key ratios that signal its presence in a business.                                                                                      (10 marks)

(b)          The Financial Director of MAJEMBE Industries is reviewing two alternative schemes for building and running new laboratories.  The choice is between a low cost conventional building and a high tech building.   Features of the latter option included: optimum orientation of the Building structures; less glazing; north facing roof lights; photo sensitive override controls for the lighting windows; double glazing; cavit wall installation.

Estimates of the building costs and running costs (in terms of present day prices) for the estimated 50 years life of the laboratory are as follows:


Conventional
Hi-tech

(TZS ‘000’)
(TZS‘000’)
Design, construction and installations
14,000
16,000
Annual running costs:


             Labour
260
260
             Energy
100
50
             Materials
10
10
Depreciation
280
320
Maintenance costs:


              Labour
160
120
              Material
70
50
Demolition and disposal costs
100
100

REQUIRED:

Assuming a four per cent cost of capital, which alternative is cheaper for MAJEMBE Industries?                                                                                          (10 marks)
 (Total: 20 marks)








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SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
BI – FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
MAY 2017
ANSWER   1

(a)               Reason for not investing in viable projects

·           Hard capital Rationing
-          Fund limited for reasons outside a company e.g. firm too risky for investors, high gearing.

·           Soft capital Rationing
-          Funds limited for reasons within a company e.g. (i) avoid consequences of external financing (ii)  control growth

(b)                
(i)                 Net present value


Year 0 ‘000’
Year 1 ‘000’
Year 2 ‘000’
Year 3 ‘000’
Year 4 ‘000’
Year 5 ‘000’
Net cash flows
Residual value
Tax payment
(150,000)
-
-
57,600
-
(3,015)
59,904
-
(7,782)
62,300
-
(10,948)
64,792
15,000
(8,657)


(2,476)
Net cash flow after tax
Discount factor
(150,000)
1.000
54,585
0.893
52,122
0.797
51,352
0.712
71,135
0.636
(2,476)
0.567
Present value
(150,000)
48,744
41,541
36,563
45,242
(1,404)

Net present Value = Tshs.20, 686,000                                            
           
(ii)              The Post Tax Money Cost
The post tax money cost of capital at which the hotel will be indifferent between accepting/rejecting the project is where the net present value is equal to zero i.e. the IRR of the project.

If cash flows are discounted at 20%


Year 0 ‘000’
Year 1 ‘000’
Year 2 ‘000’
Year 3 ‘000’
Year 4 ‘000’
Year 5 ‘000’
Net cash flows after tax
(150,000)
54,585
52,122
51,352
71,135
(2,476)
Discount factor
1,000
0.833
0.694
0.579
0.482
0.402
Present value
(150,000)
45,469
36,173
29,732
34,287
(995)

Net present value = (Tshs.5,334,000)


Cost of Capital at which the Hotel would be indifferent;

            IRR = LR +
           
L = 12%     NPVLR = 20,686,000
           
HR = 20%  NPVHR= (5,334,000)

                        IRR = 12 + = 18.36%
By interpolation                                                                                               
12% + 8% (20,686/(20,686 + 5,334)) = 18.36%                               

ANSWER 2

(a)               The statement is valid, it is precisely impossible to measure individual attitude.

-          The individual risk differs
-          Market risk
-          Despite of its practicability, it is better to make subjective estimates and construct imperfect set of visual adjusted discount rules for case in evaluating assets.

 ( b) (i)  Need to look on abnormal return between actual return and predicted by the SML
            Without information in risk free and market rate of return it in difficult to tell which in accurate.

      (ii)  Jangala

            α1 = 19% - [6% +1.5(14% - 6%)]
     = 19% - 18%
       = 1%
           
            Joseph
α = 16% - [6% +1 (14% - 6%)]
     = 16% - 14%
       = 2%

Joseph has higher superior stock.

(c)        (i)         Return = (1/N)S(N*Ri)=N*0.1/N = 10%                                          

(ii)        As N increases (approaching infinity), (it remain the same) covariance approaches 0.0064 which is covariance between any pair of the given security.                                   

            The covariance of the returns of the securities is the most important factor to consider when placing security in a well diversified portfolio.                  


ANSWER 3

(a)                                       (i)         The government announces that inflation unexpectedly jumped by 2 per cent last month.

·                  The change in systematic risk has occurred.
·                  An increase in inflation rate decreases the real rate of return, assuming nominal rates remain unchanged.
·                  Therefore, market prices in general will most likely decline.  Price of the  bank will fall.
(ii)        Bank’s earnings report, just issued, generally fell in line with analysts’ expectations.

·                        No change in unsystematic risk (risk factor)
·                     The company stock price already reflects the market valuation of the company’s earnings since it is in line with the analysts’ expectations.
·                     The price of the bank stock will mostly likely to stay constant.

(iii)       The government reports that economic growth last year was at 3 per cent, which generally agreed with most economists’ forecasts.

·                     No change in systematic risk (risk factor)
·                     Market has already priced the stocks in expectation of economic growth.
·                     Therefore, market prices in general will stay constant and bank stock price will most likely stay constant.

(iv)       Parliament approves changes to the tax code that will increase the top marginal corporate tax rate.  The legislation had been debated for the previous six months.

·                     No change in systematic risk
·                     Expectation of tax increase has been priced in since it has been debated for 6 months.
·                     General stock market prices will most likely stay constant and the bank’s stock price will stay constant too.                                                  

(b)        (i)         What is the current price of Amazon Co. stock:

The after tax expected return (R) on Zodiac stock is 400/2000 = 20%

Since all companies are in the same risk class, Amazon will be priced to yield the same after-tax expected return.

R = [Dividend (1 – tax on dividend)+ Capital Gain (1 – tax on capital gain]/Initial Price.

R = [d(1 – td) + (P1 – P0)(l – tgl/P0 but tg = 0

0.2 = [400(1- 0.25) + (2,000 – P0]/ P0
P0= Tsh. 1,916.7                                                                                
(ii)              If capital gains are also taxed at 25 percent, what is the price of Amazon Co. stock?

If tax on capital gain is 25%, the after tax expected return (R) on Zodiac stock is 400(l-0.25)/2000 = 15%

0.15 = [400(l-0.25) + (2,000- P0)(l-0.25)]/P0

P0 = Tsh.2,000                                                                                   

(iii)            Explain the result you found in part (ii)

When taxes are the same for both capital gain and dividend, then investors are indifferent of receiving dividend and capital gain.  Hence the price will be the same.                                                                                                              

(c)        The net income of Magita Corporation, which has 10,000 outstanding shares and 100% payout policy, is TZS 32,000.  The expected value of the firm one year hence is TZS. 1,545,600.  The appropriate discount rate for Magita is 12 percent.

(i)                 What is the current  value of the firm?

Value = Present Value of future cashflows

            =  Th.32,000 + Tsh. 1,545,600/(1.12)
           
= Ths.1,412,000                                                                     

(ii)              What is the ex-dividend price of Magita’s stock if the board follows its current policy?

Price = Value/Number of shares outstanding

P= Tsh.141.2

Dividend = Earnings/number of shares

Dividend = Tsh.3.2

On the ex-dividend date, price will fall by an amount of dividend to Tsh. 138.



ANSWER  4

(a)                                                                                                                     KOBELO COMPANY
Establishing the Appropriate Timing of Equipment Abandonment
           
Operating the Equipment for One More Year (to Year 2017)
We calculate the NPV of the project assuming the operations continue for one more year and the firm foregoes the net salvage value receivable at the end of year 2016

End of Year
2016 (0)
2017 (1)
2017
Net Cash Flows (millions of TZS)
Discount Factor (10%)
(14)
1
10
0.909
8
0.909
Present Value
(14)
9.09
7.272

            NPV = TZS[9.09 + 7.272]m – TZS14m = TZS2.362m

            Operating the Equipment for Two More Years (to Year 2018)
We calculate the NPV of the project assuming the operations continue for two more years and the firm foregoes the net salvage value receivable at the end of year 2016.

            End of Year
2016 (0)
2017 (1)
2018(2)
2018(2)
Net Cash Flows (millions of TZS)
Discount Factor (10%)
(14)
1
10
0.909
2
0.826
1
0.826
Present Value
(14)
9.09
1.652
0.826

            NPV= TZS[9.09 + 1.652 + 0.826]m – TZS 14m  = - TZS 2,432

            Operating the Equipment for Three More Years (to Year 2019)
We calculate the NPV of the project assuming the operations continue for three more years and the firm foregoes the net salvage value receivable at the end of year 2016.

            End of Year
2016 (0)
2017 (1)
2018(2)
2019(3)
Net Cash Flows (millions of TZS)
Discount Factor (10%)
(14)
1
10
0.909
2
0.826
1
0.751
Present Value
(14)
9.09
1.652
0.751

            NPV= TZS[9.09 + 1.652 + 0.751]m – TZS14m = -TZS2.507m

Comment:  the NPV of the equipment if it is to be operated for one more year is positive.  Thus the equipment should operate for one more year to 2017 and abandoned.


(b)        Nominal vs. Real Money Terms Approach
A nominal (money terms) approach to investment appraisal discounts nominal cash flows with a nominal cost of capital.  Nominal cash flows are found by inflating forecast values from current price estimates, for example, using specific inflation.  Applying specific inflation means that different project cash flows are inflated by different inflation rates in order to generate nominal project cash flows.  A real terms approach to investment appraisal discounts real cash flows with a real cost of capital.  Real ash s flows are found by deflating nominal cash flows by the general rate of inflation.  The real cost of capital is found by deflating the nominal cost of capital by the general rate of inflation, using the Fisher equation:

(1+ real discount rate) x (1 + inflation rate) = (1 + nominal discount rate)

The net present value for an investment project does not depend on whether a nominal terms approach or a real terms approach is adopted, since nominal cash flows and the nominal discount rate are both discounted by the general rate of inflation to give real cash flows and the real discount rate, respectively.  Both approaches give the same net present value.                                                                                                                

(c)        Trade Receivables Policy
The factors to be considered in formulating a trade receivables policy relate to credit analysis, credit control and receivables collection.

Credit analysis
In offering credit, a company must consider that it will be exposed to the risk of late payment and the risk of bad debts.  To reduce these risks, the company will assess the creditworthiness of its potential customers.  In order to do this, the company needs information, which can come from a variety of sources, such as trade references, bank references, credit reference agencies, published accounts and so on.  As a result of assessing the creditworthiness of customers, a company can decide on the amount of credit to offer, the credit terms to offer, or whether to offer credit at all.

Credit control
Having extended credit to customers, a company needs to consider ways to ensure that the terms under which credit was granted are followed.  It is important that customers settle outstanding accounts on time and keep to agreed credit limits.  Factors to consider here are, therefore, the number of overdue accounts and the amount of outstanding cash.  This information can be provided by an aged receivables analysis.

Awareness of customers with regard to their outstanding
Another factor to consider is that customers need to be made aware of the amounts outstanding on their accounts and reminded when payment is due.  This can be done by providing regular statements of account and by sending reminder letters when payment is due.


Receivables collection
Cash received needs to be banked quickly if payment is not made electronically by credit transfer.  Overdue accounts must be followed up in order to assess the likelihood of payment and to determine what further action is needed.  In the worst cases, legal steps may need to be taken in order to recover outstanding amounts.  A key factor to consider here is that the benefit gained from chasing overdue amounts must not exceed the costs incurred.                                                                                                       
ANSWER 5

(a)               (i)         Why retained earnings have an opportunity cost associated:

Retained earnings belong to the existing common stockholders.  If the funds are paid out instead of reinvested, the stockholders could earn a return on them.  Thus, we say retaining funds for reinvestment carries an opportunity cost.

(ii)       Why is the cost of issuing new common stock higher than the cost of retained earnings:

In issuing new  common stock, we must earn a slightly higher return than the normal cost of common equity in order to cover the distribution costs of the new security.                                                                                                

(iii)            Why is the cost of retained earnings the equivalent of the firm’s own required rate of return on common stock:
-     Cost consideration – cost of equity is higher than the cost of debt.
-          Tax consideration – from debts there is interest tax benefit.
-          Insufficient of internal finance through retained earnings are not enough.
-          Legal requirement for the public listed company.

(b)               Share repurchases
A firm may distribute each to stockholders by repurchasing its own stock rather than paying out cash dividends.  Stock repurchases can be used (1) somewhat routinely as an alternative to regular dividends, (2) to dispose of excess (nonrecurring) cash that came from asset sales or from temporarily high earnings, and (3) in connection with a capital structure change in which debt is sold and the proceeds are used to buy back and retire shares.

Advantages of repurchases:

1.      A repurchase announcement may be viewed as a positive signal that management believes the shares are undervalued.

2.      Stockholders have a choice – if they want cash, they can tender their shares, receive the cash, and pay the taxes, or they can keep their shares and avoid taxes.  On the other hand, one must accept a cash dividend and pay taxes on it.

3.      If the company raises the dividend to dispose of excess cash, this higher dividend must be maintained to avoid adverse stock price reactions.  A stock repurchase, on the other hand, does not obligate management to future repurchases.

4.      Repurchased stock, called treasury stock, can be used later in mergers, when employees exercise stock options, when convertible bonds are converted, and when warrants are exercised.  Treasury stock can also be resold in the open market if the firm needs cash.  Repurchases can remove a large block of stock that is “overhanging” the market and keeping the price per share down.

5.      Repurchases can be varied from year to year without giving off adverse signals, while dividends may not.

6.      Repurchases can be used to produce large-scale changes in capital structure.

Disadvantages of repurchases:

1.      A repurchase could lower the stock’s price if it is taken as a signal that the firm has relatively few good investment opportunities.  On the other hand, though, a repurchase can signal stockholders that managers are not engaged in “empire building,” where they invest funds in low-return projects.

2.      If the Tax authority establishes that the repurchase was primarily to avoid taxes on dividends, then penalties could be imposed.  Such actions have been brought against closely-held firms, but to our knowledge charges have never been brought against publicly-held firms.

3.      Selling shareholders may not be fully informed about the repurchase; hence, they may make an uninformed decision and may later sue the company.  To avoid this, firms generally announce repurchase programs in advance.

4.      The firm may bid up the stock price resulting in the firm paying too high a price for the shares.  In this situation, the selling shareholders would gain at the expense of the remaining shareholders.  This could occur if a tender offer were made and the price was set too high, or if the repurchase was made in the open market and buying pressure drove the price above its equilibrium level.                              

(c)               Stock dividend
After the 10% stock dividend, Keona’s stockholder’s equity account is as follows:

Common stock (55,000 shares at Tsh.3 par) = 165,000

            Paid-in capital in excess of par                     =   335,000
            Retained earnings                                          =   350,000
            Total stockholders’ equity                                 850,000


ANSWER 6

(a)          The concept of overtrading:
Overtrading – is a situation in which a company is growing its sales faster than it can finance them:

The following may be the cause of overtrading:
(i)                 Depletion of working capital:  Depletion of working capital ultimately results in depletion of cash resources.  Cash resources of the company may get depleted by premature repayment of long term loans, excessive drawings, dividend payments, purchase of fixed assets and excessive net trading losses etc.

(ii)              Faulty financial policy:  Faulty financial policy can result in shortage of cash and overtrading in several ways including using working capital for purchase of fixed assets and attempting to expand the volume of the business without raising the necessary resources, etc.

(iii)            Over expansion:  In national emergencies like war, natural calamities, etc a firm may be required to produce goods on a larger scale.  Government may pressurize the manufacturers to increase the volume of production without providing for adequate finances.  Such pressure results in overexpansion of the business ignoring the elementary rules of sound finance.

(iv)             Inflation and rising prices:  Inflation and rising prices make renewals and replacements of assets costlier.  The wages and material costs also rise.  The manufacturer, therefore needs more money even to maintain the existing level of activity.

(v)               Excessive taxation:  Heavy taxes result in depletion of cash resources at a scale higher than what is justified.  The cash position is further strained on account of efforts of the company to maintain reasonable dividend rates for their shareholders.

(b)          Cash flow                                  Discount factor                       Present value
Year Conventional    Hi-Tech                                          Conventional Hi Tech
          (Tshs.’000’)    (Tshs.’000)                @4%                     (Tshs.’000’) (Tshs.’000’)
0        14,000              16,000             1.000                                   14,000            16,000
1-50      600 p.a.            490 p.a.                  21.482                       12,890            10,530
50         100                   100                            .141                               14.1             14.1
Present value of lifetime costs                                               26,904                    26,544

The hi-tech building works out a little cheaper in the long run and subject to other considerations, should be recommended.  (Note that at a discount rate of 6% the conventional building would be slightly cheaper)

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