Smartmatic a signature away from automation deal

MANILA, Philippines - The consortium of Smartmatic and Total Information Management Systems (TIM) is just a signature away from bagging the P11.3-billion poll automation project.

Ferdinand Rafanan, Commission on Elections-Special Bids and Awards Committee (Comelec-SBAC) chairman, said they were preparing the endorsement of Smartmatic as official supplier for the voting machines that will be used in next year’s general elections.

“It should be obvious. It is the Smartmatic/TIM consortium,” Rafanan said when asked by reporters if there was already a winning bidder.

Rafanan said only the signature of SBAC members and the approval of the Comelec were needed to officially declare Smartmatic as winning bidder.

“We have to sign the recommendation,” Rafanan said.

He said the Technical Working Group (TWG) is finishing its report and “the moment the SBAC receives this report we will make the recommendation.”

Rafanan noted that the joint venture of Smartmatic and TIM had successfully met and complied with all SBAC requirements and criteria.

The consortium has hurdled the 26 criteria for testing the machines’ capability, he said.

He expressed confidence that the Comelec will agree to their recommendations to select Smartmatic/TIM as the winning bidder.

He said the Comelec will deliberate on their recommendation and probably come out with a decision within the week.

Netherlands-based Smartmatic entered a P7.2-billion bid offer for the poll automation project of the Comelec, lower by nearly P4 billion from the price ceiling set by the poll body.

The partnership will supply about 82,200 Precinct Count Optical Scanners (PCOS).

This is the second time that Smartmatic will supply the computers for the Comelec since the last election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in August 2008, where they won the bidding and supplied the direct recording electronics (DRE) machines. – Mayen Jaymalin