Can Electronic Procurement Improve Infrastructure Provision? Evidence from Public Works in India and Indonesia
利用印度和印度尼西亚的独特数据，研究发现电子采购虽未降低价格，但提升了道路质量并减少了工期延误，主要原因是吸引了更高质量的承包商参与竞标。
This paper examines whether electronic procurement (e-procurement), which increases access to information and reduces personal interactions with potentially corrupt officials, improves procurement outcomes. We develop unique datasets from India and Indonesia and use variation in adoption of e-procurement within both countries. We find no evidence of reduced prices but do find that e-procurement leads to quality improvements. In India, where we observe quality directly, e-procurement improves road quality, and in Indonesia, e-procurement reduces delays. Regions with e-procurement are more likely to have winners come from outside the region. On net, the results suggest that e-procurement facilitates entry from higher quality contractors.