PROF. JOSEF BONNICI, B.A. (Hons.), M.A., Ph.D. (Econ.), M.P.

 

As Minister for Economic Services, Prof Josef Bonnici is responsible for Small Business and the Self Employed, Industry, Malta Development Corporation, Institute for the Promotion of Small Enterprises, Malta Freeport Corporation, Economic Development Policy, Technical Assistance, Statistics, Import and Export Trade, Consumer Protection, Competition Policy, Government Investments (including Maltapost p.l.c. and Bank of Valletta p.l.c.), Air Malta p.l.c., Maltacom p.l.c., Malta International Airport p.l.c., Drydocks and Shipbuilding, Water Services Corporation, and Enemalta Corporation. Two Parlaimentary Secretaries within the Ministry have been appointed by the Prime Minister to assist in the implementation of government policy in the fields of Economic Services.

Prof Josef Bonnici was born on 15th April 1953. He read Economics at the University of Malta, and subsequently obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University, Canada. His fields of specialisation include: Econometrics, Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics.

Prof Bonnici lectured in Macroeconomics, Statistics, and Business Finance at Simon Fraser University until he was appointed Senior Lecturer in Economics at Deakin University, Australia. Since 1988, Prof Bonnici has occupied the position of Professor of Economics at the University of Malta, lecturing in Macroeconomics and Econometrics.

Prof Bonnici is the author or co-author of several books, including an Australian Economics textbook, "Macroeconomics", published by Longman (1996), now in its third edition. He also co-authored "Malta in the European Community: Some Economics and Commercial Perspectives'' published by the Chamber of Commerce in 1989, and the study "Why is Canada's unemployment rate so high?", with H.G. Grubel (Vancover, 1986). He has published extensively, both in Malta, and in professional economics journals ("Imports in Keynesian Models", Economic Record, 1987, and "The Relevance of Import Substitution in the Inter-Industry Model", European Economic Review, 1983). In 1991, he was appointed as an expert advisor to the Council of Europe in its Co-ordinated Research Programme in the social field. The report prepared by the five-member study group, and entitled "The effect on labour relations of new forms of organisation of work in firms", was adopted by the General Assembly and published in 1994.

During 1988-92, Prof Bonnici was appointed Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malta. In 1989, he was appointed Chairman of the Incomes Policy sub-committee on the Malta Council for Economic Development by the Prime Minister. This sub-committee initiated and led to the signing of the Incomes Policy Accord between the three social partners.

Prof. Bonnici entered politics in 1990, and was elected Member of Parliament in 1992, 1996 and 1998. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance in February 1993, sharing a joint portfolio with the Minister of Finance, and focusing mainly on Economic Policy.

In April 1995, Prof. Bonnici was appointed Minister for Economic Services, responsible for manufacturing industry, tourism, internal and external trade, statistics, consumer protection, Malta Freeport, and Air Malta. The Minister's underlying mission was to co-ordinate activities within each sector of his portfolio to implement strategies aimed at the development of Malta as a hub of economic activity.

In 1996 Prof. Bonnici was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities from Rikkyo University in Japan, for "setting an example on how social scientists should relate to society" and "for applying scholastic learning to the creation of national policy, the improvement of public welfare and the advancement of the nation".

Prof. Bonnici is a member of the Maltese Parliamentary Delegation to the Council of Europe, of the Maltese delegation to the OSCE, and of the Joint Malta-EU Parliamentary Committee. He has led delegations to various countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Australia and Japan. He has also participated in many conferences addressing various fora.

Prof. Bonnici is married to Rita née Oliva, and have two children.