Data and Code for: "Indirect Savings from Public Procurement Centralization"

  • Clarissa Lotti (Creator)
  • Arieda Muço (Creator)
  • GIANCARLO SPAGNOLO (Creator)
  • Tommaso Valletti (Creator)

    Dataset

    Description

    Centralization of public procurement can lower prices for the government's direct purchase of goods and services. This paper focuses on indirect savings. Public administrations that do not procure directly through a central procurement agency might benefit from the availability of centrally-procured goods. We exploit the introduction of a central purchasing agency in Italy and find that prices came down by 22% among administrations that bought autonomously. These indirect effects appear to be driven by informational externalities, especially for less competent public buyers purchasing technologically more complex goods. Accounting for indirect savings increases the estimate of direct ones.
    Date made available2024
    PublisherICPSR - Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research
    Date of data production1 Jan 1999 - 27 Dec 2007
    Geographical coverageItaly

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