---
title: "Moldova to overhaul district administration and empower mayors "
url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/84646/moldova-to-overhaul-district-administration-and-empower-mayors
published: 2026-09-08T12:07:36Z
language: en
author: "Dumitru Petruleac"
section: "Political"
source: radiomoldova.md
---

# Moldova to overhaul district administration and empower mayors 

> The Moldovan government is preparing to consolidate its 32 districts into 10 or fewer regional units while devolving greater fiscal and administrative powers directly to local town halls.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/fcda589f-6bb6-4927-9f91-618a5d73c3ee.jpg)

The Moldovan government is preparing to consolidate its 32 districts into 10 or fewer regional units while devolving greater fiscal and administrative powers directly to local town halls.

**Devolution and fiscal tools for mayoralties**

Under the planned territorial-administrative reform, the reconfigured second-tier authorities may shed the historical designation of "raion" (*district*) and transition toward a strategic coordination role. The central objective is to empower first-tier local public administrations, bringing public services closer to citizens and reinforcing municipal autonomy.

*“The process for the second tier has already begun, with discussions underway regarding a revamped district map, conceptual competencies, and legal levers,”* said Alexandru Iacub, Deputy Secretary General of the Government, speaking on Moldova 1’s *În Context* program. *“The State Chancellery and the Government will make a formal public announcement shortly, and it will be a welcome development.”*

The blueprint includes transferring multiple responsibilities and dedicated fiscal mechanisms from district councils to local mayoralties. Officials noted that many existing second-tier prerogatives have become obsolete or redundant following centralized digital public service rollouts.

**Expanding administrative capacity and project management**

Although second-tier administrations will not be eliminated entirely in this initial phase, their core mandate will shift toward strategic project assistance for town halls. 

*“One of the primary additional roles assigned to the second tier will be strategic support for mayoralties in drafting development projects,”* Iacub explained. 

The reform model also targets administrative efficiency through demographic scale. Under the government's baseline framework, the average population served by a first-tier local authority is projected to expand from approximately 1,900 to 6,000 residents—excluding the major municipalities of Chișinău and Bălți—creating a larger specialist talent pool and bolstering project execution capabilities.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

[Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/f5OhTPOxCdI)

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