Updates with salary.

The new head of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Joseph Cuschieri, will have a salary of €81,500 plus a car, fuel allowance, a mobile phone and health insurance. Mr Cuschieri will be getting paid €68,500 as a Chief Executive Officer and €13,000 as a non-executive chairman, Economy Minister Chris Cardona told Parliament this morning. 

Mr Cuschieri has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA). This appointment is being announced following the resignation of Mr. Reuben Portanier from the post of Chief Executive Officer and the resignation of Mr. Mario Galea from Chairman of the Board of the LGA. Mr Galea’s association with the LGA will continue to help Malta on matters relating to the gaming industry.

The Malta Independent on Sunday had reported the appointment on 20 October (see stories in links below)

Joe Cuschieri is the son-in-law of Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella. He was formerly employed with Vodafone Malta as Head of Commercial Operations. In the past, he was also chief operating officer at the Malta Communications Authority.

Mr Cuschieri is a certified public accountant specialised in management accounting & finance and holds a Masters Degree in Business Management from Henley Management College, UK. Throughout his professional career, he held various senior executive positions within the private sector. Prior to joining the LGA, Mr Cuschieri was senior consultant with Ernst & Young. He has vast experience in economic regulation particularly in the electronic communications sector where he spent five years as Chief Operating Officer at the Malta Communications Authority.

In his new role, Mr Cuschieri will be focusing amongst other things on reforming the Authority to make it more efficient and agile, strengthening the relationships with all stakeholders, strategically grow the on-line gaming sector and promote Malta as a globally recognised gaming jurisdiction.   

Parliamentary Secretary Edward Zammit Lewis said: “I am delighted to announce this appointment at such a crucial stage in the development of the on-line gaming industry in Malta. With Mr Cuschieri’s appointment at the helm of the LGA and the support of Mr Galea’s expertise in the remote gaming sector, I am confident that the LGA will have the right professional set-up to enable its continued development. In this way, Malta as the leading gaming jurisdiction in Europe will continue its drive to protect such a strategically important economic sector and also grow into other niche markets. I take this opportunity to thank Mr Galea for Chairing the LGA’s Board during the last six months and congratulate Mr Cuschieri in his new challenging role.”

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-10-13/news/ministers-son-in-law-to-head-lotteries-and-gaming-authority-2872639489/?archive=20131013000000

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-10-20/news/no-decision-yet-on-new-lga-chiefs-designation-salary-2936176640/