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FILE PHOTO: The European Central Bank (ECB) presents the new 50 euro note at the bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, July 5, 2016. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File Photo
The Czech central state budget posted a 288.5 billion crown ($12.81 billion) deficit in 2023, below a planned gap of 295 billion crowns and narrowing from a 360.4 billion crown deficit in 2022, the Finance Ministry said on Thursday. ($1 = 22.5160 Czech crowns) (Reporting by Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet)