Updated 1.50pm

Labour MP Chris Agius has been appointed chairman of Yachting Malta,  a public-private partnership between the government and Royal Malta Yacht Club.

Agius, who was moved to the backbench after eight years in cabinet as a junior minister, succeeds Jonathan Borg in the post.

He was appointed to the chairmanship by Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia, who poached Borg to place at the helm of Transport Malta.

Agius will serve as chairman until November 2024 and earn €5,820 per year in the role, which is a non-executive one.  

The Labour MP is Yachting Malta’s fourth chairman.

Yachting Malta CEO Michael Mifsud said the board of directors and team at the organisation look forward to working with Agius “at what is an exciting time for Yachting Malta and the various elements of the yachting industry.”

Agius was first elected to parliament in 1996 and has been re-elected to every legislature since then.

When Labour rose to power in 2013, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation and Sport. In 2017, he was made Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and the Property Market and then Parliamentary Secretary for Lands and Construction when Robert Abela succeeded Joseph Muscat as prime minister.

Abela then opted to leave Agius out of cabinet following his 2022 electoral victory.