On behalf of the Bank of Mexico, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the participants for their valuable contributions. The discussions here have been highly enlightening, and the wide variety of papers presented has helped us deepen our understanding of the vital role of productivity in any economy.
Identification of the sources and effects of productivity is critical to explaining why income levels differ so much among nations, and more importantly, may give us a guide as to how to foster higher living standards. I would like to begin my remarks by reflecting on a few salient issues in the literature on productivity and the rule of law.