President Maia Sandu stated that “one of the country’s most complex reforms is in its final stages of preparation. The need for territorial-administrative changes has been discussed for years, with calls for reform and recognition that the current structure is inefficient. However, no one has dared to initiate local public administration reform, both because of its complexity and its unpopularity,” TRIBUNA reports.

The president said that, in recent days, the Government had presented its proposal for the country’s new territorial-administrative structure: a map of the Republic of Moldova featuring three regions, three municipalities, the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (ATU Gagauzia), and 273 mayoralties.

“I would like to thank the mayors, local councillors, district council presidents, and everyone who contributed to developing a more efficient structure, adapted to new demographic realities and prepared to absorb European funds.

Local governance must be based in the mayoralties. They need qualified specialists, adequate financial resources, and the autonomy to build thriving communities.

Regions must have a clear mandate, without unnecessary bureaucracy and with lower administrative costs, while playing a coordinating role in major regional projects.

Citizens should not have to travel far from home to access services or wait decades for water supply and sewage systems. Instead, they should be able to access these services as easily and quickly as possible.

A challenging stage lies ahead: implementation. I hope that every issue will be resolved with people’s interests as the guiding principle, because what people want is access to quality services,” Maia Sandu added.