Further, we raised the asset threshold to $ billion for the Small Bank Holding Company and Savings and Loan Holding Company Policy Statement. This change, which exempts small holding companies from consolidated risk-based capital rules, fosters local ownership of small banks by allowing more banking companies with limited access to capital markets to use debt in bank acquisitions.
I would like to thank J.P. Morgan for the invitation to participate in this annual conference devoted to opportunities for attaining higher economic growth in Mexico. In my talk, I would like to focus on the challenges and prospects for the Mexican economy in the current difficult international environment.