{"id":605347,"date":"2019-04-05T15:51:13","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T15:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n

The recent string of power outages throughout the country has been largely due to ineffective management of the system, former Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor, says.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview on the Super Morning Show Friday, he told the show\u2019s host, Daniel Dadzie, that the solution is simple: Both the Energy and Power Ministries should outline a 10-year, comprehensive approach to end what will inevitably become a power crisis.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

However, he did admit that swelling crude oil costs and a depreciating cedi are exacerbating the supply.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn just two years, ECG has reported $3 billion in losses,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

John Jinapor is the former Deputy Minister of Power<\/b><\/p>\n

He explained the accumulated debt stemmed from a sharp increase\u00a0in crude oil prices, which began in 2012.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to dumsor in 2015, oil sold at $30-$40 per barrel. Those figures suddenly doubled and the country scrambled to find funds. At the time, an option would have been to increase electricity bills to meet the demand, but \u201chow can you do that to consumers? If we did that, the industry would have collapsed,\u201d said Jinapor.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the country switched from oil to mostly gas and 80 percent of it was supplied locally, but he cautioned that the country must have some on reserve.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n