The president of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, Jose Rafael Vargas, said that the government cannot intervene on behalf of consumers affected by the high telecom charges. Last year, the telecom companies argued that they were forced to increase their rates because their costs were affected by the pronounced depreciation of the peso. In contrast, now that the peso has considerably appreciated, prices have not come down. Vargas says that Telecom Law 153-98 gives companies market freedom to set their rates.