The MCCAA has announced the appointment of Melchior Vella as the new Director General of the Office for Competition.

Dr Vella, whose career has focused on economic research and public policy, holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Public Policy and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Economics (First Class) from the University of Malta. He went on to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Essex (UK), where he was awarded a Master of Science in Economics with distinction and, most recently, a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics in 2025.

Within the MCCAA, Dr Vella served in the Office for Competition, where he held the position of Director before stepping into the new role.

Alongside his public sector contributions, he is a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the University of Malta and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis at the University of Essex.

Dr Vella has also held key positions within the Economic Policy Department of the Ministry for Finance and the National Development and Social Fund, while contributing to the Economic Policy Committee’s Working Group on Ageing Populations and Sustainability.

He has further supported Malta’s national team on the tax-benefit microsimulation model for policy analysis.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Vella expressed his commitment to strengthening fair competition in Malta: “Competition is not only about safeguarding the welfare of consumers, but also about fostering an environment in which businesses can thrive, innovate, and grow sustainably. It is also key to sustaining and strengthening Malta’s economic resilience in the face of future challenges.

“I look forward to working closely with my colleagues at the MCCAA and with stakeholders across the economy to ensure that competition continues to serve the best interests of our society.”

Dr Vella’s research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. His appointment, the authority said, “reflects the commitment of the MCCAA to evidence-based decision-making.”

A long time coming

The appointment of a new Director General for Malta’s Office for Competition has been pending for the better part of two years, ever since the previous DG, Godwin Mangion, retired.

A report carried by Times of Malta in October 2024 quoted industry sources expressing concern about the validity of decisions taken by the Office for Competition over the last year.

Such decisions included assessments on supermarket chain Lidl’s attempt to take over a Scotts supermarket in Żabbar, British airline easyJet’s completed acquisition of the SR Technics maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, KDM Investments’ takeover of G4S Group, and several others in the medical and pharmaceutical fields.

Difficulties in finding a Director General for the Office for Competition are nothing new. Mr Mangion himself was appointed after a contested process that saw his predecessor, Sylvann Aquilina Zahra, replaced after just three years – allegedly after refusing to disclose information about her investigations to Government Ministers.

In 2021, Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti criticised the 2014 selection board for the role, arguing that they were “not qualified” for the job after finding that they had specifically highlighted their objection to the fact that the candidates showed an inclination that the office should work independently from other branches of the authority.

Malta’s Office for Competition stands out in the EU for being a unit in a Government ministry, rather than an independent authority. It is therefore subject to far more political pressure and enjoys less autonomy than its European counterparts.

While many other state institutions, like the Malta Communications Authority or the Central Bank, must be nominally independent entities under EU law, the Office for Competition does not have the same obligation. Nonetheless, practically every other EU country does in fact set it up to ensure it is fully independent from political interference or instruction.