Czech banker says 50 bps hike thoroughly debated

...voting on Thursday for an increase of 25 basis points, CNB Governor Zdenek Tuma said.

Tuma also told a news conference after a monthly meeting that tightened policy for second time in three months that he could not specify the size and timing of possible future interest rate hikes.

However, he also struck a hawkish tone, saying the bank now saw more inflationary pressure in the real economy in 2007 than previously forecast, and that the new quarterly inflation forecast is consistent with a rise in nominal interest rates.