The board of the Ceska Narodni Banka (Czech National Bank) voted 5-2 to cut the two-week repo rate by 75 basis points to 0.25%; economists had expected a 50 basis points reduction.
The key interest rate was lowered by 75 basis points on March 26 and by another 50 basis points on March 16, after it was hiked by a quarter-point in February.
The Lombard rate was cut to 1%, although the discount rate was left unchanged at 0.05%.
The CNB also presented the latest set of macroeconomic forecasts for the Czech economy, which project a severe contraction this year, RTT News says.
Gross domestic product is forecast to fall 8% this year and recover with 4% growth next year.
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