Regulatory affairs experts have emphasized the importance of time in the determination of the market price of a certain goods. Thus a distinction has been made between the market price and the normal price. Passing events often influences the market value and its action is fitful and short lived than those other factors that work persistently.

The market price is determined by the equilibrium of the forces of demand and supply at a given moment or point of time. A market period is a very short period in which the supply of goods is limited by the existing stock of goods. The supply is regarded as a constant, as the market period is so short. Also the supply cannot be increased to meet the rising demand. Depending on the nature of goods, the market period can be a day, a few days, a few hours or even a week or more.

Generally there are two kinds of goods in the market. They are perishable goods and durable goods or non-perishable reproducible goods. The price of perishable goods such as fishes, fruits, vegetables, milk etc is determined by demand for these goods as supply of these goods is fixed in relation to the market period. These goods cannot be kept for the next period and the whole must be sold at the same day, whatever the price maybe. Therefore, the price of a perishable commodity rises with there is rise in demand and falls with there is a decrease in demand.

Balancing the market price and normal price to ensure a fair play in the market tests the leadership and subject skills of regulatory affairs experts. A Regulatory affairs expert will get bouquets for a job well done and the blame for a mess in the market will be placed on the shoulders of the same regulatory affairs expert and he will get brickbats instead of bouquets.