Joseph F. X. Zahra

Joseph F.X. Zahra (born December 3, 1955) is a Maltese economist who has held a number of directorships in both private and public companies in Malta and abroad. He is also a lecturer of economics at the University of Malta and had the appointment of “docente a contratto” at the University of Messina, Italy. He is a founding partner and Managing Director of a Maltese company, MISCO. Zahra is also a playwright and the author of a book of verse.

Zahra graduated from University of Malta with a First Class Honours Degree in Economics (1976) and a Masters Degree in Economics (1979). He is also a Chartered Marketer, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, besides being a member of the Market Research Society (U.K). Zahra is a fellow member of the Salzburg Seminar on “Technology and Structural Unemployment” (1986). In 2001 he was granted Honorary Lifelong Membership in the Malta Institute of Management.

Zahrais a founding partner and managing director of Market Intelligence Services Co Ltd (MISCO) and MISCO International Ltd. He is chairman of C. Fino & Sons Ltd., Document Archives Management Ltd and Multi Risk Ltd. and Multi Risk Indemnity Ltd. He is also director on Middlesea Insurance plc, MSV Life plc, Medserv plc, Multi Risk Benefits Ltd, Combined Maritime Services Ltd, Nemea Bank plc, PowerImage Services Ltd (Cyprus), Promise Professional Services Ltd (Cyprus), Surge Consulting Ltd, 3a Accountants Ltd, Corporate Identities Ltd, the Foundation for Medical Services, United Group Ltd. and United Finance plc.

Zahra is also chairman of the Audit Committee of Corinthia Palace Hotel Company Ltd.; chairman of the Audit Committee of Medserv plc and chairman of the Audit Committee of MSV Life plc and member of the Audit Committee of United Finance plc.

Zahra is a former director of the Central Bank of Malta (1992-1996), a former chairman of Bank of Valletta (1998-2004), Maltacom plc (2003) and he was appointed by then Prime Minister of Malta, Lawrence Gonzi, to chair the National Euro Changeover Committee to introduce the Euro currency in Malta.

Zahra was also chairman of the Malta Council for Culture and Arts (2002-2003) and the National Higher Education Commission (2006-2008).

Zahra is one of five members on the International Audit Committee of the Holy See and the Vatican State. In July 2013, Pope Francis named Zahra the President of a new Pontifical Commission (the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See), chartered to investigate current accounting practices among Vatican offices and bodies and to help devise new strategies for greater fiscal responsibility and transparency. On 8 March 2014, he was named by Pope Francis to serve as one of the Lay Members of the newly established Council for Economic Affairs, which will oversee the work of the new Secretariat for the Economy, an agency which will have financial regulatory authority over all the departments of the Roman Curia.

Zahra is a board member of the Vatican-based Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation.

In 2006, the Malta Society for Manufacturers and the Arts granted Zahra the Gold Medal Award for outstanding achievement in business and the arts.

• Zahra J.F.X., Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary System, Pontificial Council for Justice and Peace DISCERN, 2012, P. 8-19.
• Zahra J.F.X., Portraying Giorgio Borg Olivier's Political and Economic Vision - Still a Modern Foresight in Today's Economic Reality Address by Joseph F.X. Zahra, PN Press, 2009.
• Zahra J.F.X., The Sustainability of Malta's Social Security System: A glimpse at Malta's Welfare State and Suggestions for a Revised Change of Policy, The Today Public Policy Institute, 2009.
• Zahra J.F.X., Lessons from the Asian crisis: Turning uncertainty into Market Advantage. Globalisation policies, strategies & partnerships, Commonwealth Business Forum, Edited Papers, Commonwealth Business Council, 2000.