Since time immemorial, every time there is a reason to raise the prices of commodities such as the hefty increases in the prices of petroleum products, sellers of almost everything will immediately raise their prices. Of course they are only too happy to do this.
Then, after sometime, the cause of the raising of prices disappears, as when a rollback occurs in the prices of petroleum products. Would it be followed by a rollback in the prices of commodities? NO! It never happened that way. The higher prices of commodities will remain. And there is no legal mechanism for that to be automatically brought down. Even if there is a government order to be implemented regarding that, the sellers will cite so many reasons why it could not be done. Most of the time, the reasons would revolve around this. That things have changed so prices now have to be different.
The only effective factors that can automatically bring down the prices of goods are market forces. That is, the interplay of supply and demand. These, however can be manipulated especially in their measurement. And it takes a very long time for the effects to come and be felt by the people. By then a lot of dreams could have been frustrated or people died or gotten sick due to malnutrition or hunger.
A caring government should immediately issue regulations for sellers to roll back the prices of goods and services when the reasons for higher prices disappear. An efficient government can do that.
In hindsight, though, the only time the people immediately followed what was ordered by government was during Marial Law. But is an authoritarian situation the only time that can be achieved? Certainly not. What is required for that to happen is when the people respect the government and its officials. And when they are efficient in the performance of their jobs or mandates.
The reality, however, is they are anything but.**