In Asia, the austerity approach, far from reassuring investors and building confidence,
served to deepen the economic contraction that was already in its early stages. On fiscal policy, the IMF recognized the mistake within a few months and eased the fiscal targets in its programs, but much damage had already been done. The issue of appropriate monetary policy and interest rates has been much more hotly debated, and poses a difficult issue. Higher interest rates were designed to attract foreign capital and halt the depreciation of the Asian currencies. But they come at a potentially high cost, since higher interest rates make it more difficult for firms to service domestic currency loans, reduce the expansion of bank loans, and, as a result of the increase in non-performing loans, weaken bank balance sheets. Indeed, concern over these ill effects can actually reduce foreign capital inflows, rather than spur them.