An initial outline for the regional reform could be published within two weeks, he said.
"It's possible that a significant portion of the municipalities under this new plan will not be separate municipalities anymore and instead will be merged with others," he said.
Half of local councilors could lose their jobs during the reform, Pūce said.
As reported earlier, a policy paper is to be presented to the cabinet in May, deciding on the criteria that will be used to regulate how big the local governments will be and also the actual map of local governments.
However, this will only be the start of a lengthy process that is likely to take years rather than months, with the ultimate aim being to have the new administrative system in place and fully functioning by the time of the next scheduled Saeima elections in 2021.
